Once Upon a Selfie
by MysteryGal5
Summary: Life is no fairytale once puberty hits, especially in this modern day when fairytales are only stories. Meet these eight teenagers as they write their own fairytale from the perspective of high schoolers, despite the many struggles, secrets, and selfies that will inevitably come. (all canon pairings) (High School AU) [slow updates]
1. Winter's Melting: Part One

**Just letting you know that this is my first _Lunar Chronicles_ story so I am incredibly sorry in advance if anyone is OOC. Also, this a modern AU and different origin story with the basic premise being that they're all high-schoolers. Every character has their own backstory which will be explained more as the story goes on and not everyone is in the first few chapters but they all come in eventually.**

 **All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **I hope you all enjoy :)**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part One

Once upon a time, at a beautiful mansion located in the center of Commonwealth's richest neighborhood, lies a moving truck in the middle of the driveway that is in the midst of unpacking its contents. As the boxes get placed in the house one-by-one, a sleek and shiny car pulls up nearby. Quickly, the driver pops out and runs around the front in order to open the passenger door. A woman steps out of the car, one stiletto at a time. She basks in the sunlight that beams on her newly bought mansion as she lowers her designer sunglasses over her eyes. She runs her hands over her tight dress, flattening the wrinkles and picking out the incredibly small pieces of lint. As she takes a few steps forwards, showing off her grace and beauty with sashaying hips, she immediately begins ordering men as to where each of the boxes from the moving truck belong in the house, her manicured fingers pointing in all directions fluently. As that work gets completed, she turns back to the car, her dark hair flying swiftly over her shoulders without losing its place.

"Cinder, get out of the car!" She yells, more like ordering.

The car's back door opens and out steps a girl, Cinder Blackburn, who's the total opposite of the woman. She's wearing a slightly stained white tank top with the baggiest cargo pants and old running shoes. Her brown hair, which compliments her naturally tanned skin, is in a ponytail that has many strands of hair sticking out. Cinder only takes a few steps on the driveway before meeting the woman's scowl, a look she is oh-so-familiar with.

"What?" Cinder questions innocently, opening her hands in front of her.

"Get your cousin," the woman grits through her teeth, pointing at the car.

"Yes, Auntie Levana," Cinder replies in the fakest sweet tone her voice could make and a complimentary eye roll.

Cinder turns around and hobbles back to the car where her cousin (technically _step_ -cousin since she's Levana's stepdaughter), Winter Hayle-Blackburn, still sits in the backseat. She's completely zoned out: her amber eyes focused on something out the window with streaks on her dark cheeks from where tears fell, dampening the bandaids on her right cheek that cover the scars underneath her eyes, and her mouth is slightly moving as if she's having a silent conversation with whoever or whatever she was looking at. Cinder hopes that Winter isn't talking to another one of the imaginary people who only exist in her head.

With that happening beside her and Levana always sitting less than two feet away from chattering on the phone, the plane and car ride from Artemisia to Commonwealth was the longest six hours of Cinder's life.

Cinder sighs with sympathy as she looks at Winter. She wasn't always like this with the fantasies in her head and bandages on her face. So much happened back in Artemisia that just piled up and ended up on her. Now they find themselves living in Commonwealth for the means of a new and refreshing life for them (or because of Levana's job which only she prioritized way above her step-daughter and niece).

Cinder lightly nudges Winter who still doesn't budge. She then taps her shoulder repeatedly which still doesn't work. Finally, Cinder decides to pull on one of Winter's black curls and releases it so it bounces back on her face. That was an old tactic she used to do when she and Winter were kids in order to get her attention. Winter blinks spastically before looking at Cinder with wide and frightened eyes, unsure of what's going on.

"We're here," Cinder whispers, leaning into the car to unbuckle Winter's seatbelt. "This is our new home."

Winter exhales a little, looking back out the window. By the perplexed expression on her face, Cinder guesses that Winter legitimately forgot they were moving houses and had absolutely no clue as to what was going on. Cinder holds Winter's hands as she helps her out of the car and onto the driveway. Winter looks at the beautiful mansion and garden out front which makes a small smile approach the corner of her mouth, especially since the flowers in the garden match the ones on her skirt. Then the sun hits her eyes and a bunch of horrific memories from her last days in Artemisia flood her mind at once. Winter falls to her knees, hitting the cobblestone pavement and breaks into a cry.

Cinder immediately kneels beside her step-cousin, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close. She whispers words of comfort in her ears, unsure if they're being heard over her cries. Levana turns around and groans in annoyance at that sight.

"Spades, Winter, we just got here!" Levana yells, completely embarrassed by Winter's actions.

-o-

As the movers finish up with the furniture in the house and helping Levana for a bit (Levana called it a bit, Cinder saw it as a lot), Cinder walks in the house with her arm linked with Winter's. She drags Winter who is putting no effort in her walk. She remembers the days when her cousin would walk with a skip in her steps and now it as though her feet don't leave the ground. Walking on the flat floor is easier for them since there is no effort needed in doing so, but the stairs are hard given Winter's lack and disinterest in moving. In order to get upstairs, Cinder has to walk in front of Winter and face her to take both hands. Cinder walks up the stairs backwards, constantly looking over her shoulders to make sure her feet will fully land on a step, as she pulls Winter up with her.

Cinder leads Winter into her bedroom and sits her down on the mattress. Cinder gets all of Winter's boxes and organizes them by their contents. She looks back at Winter who is just staring at the boxes with blank eyes.

"Do you need anything?" Cinder asks. "A bottle of water? Some of those sour apple candies you like?"

There's no answer.

Cinder takes the silence as a no for an answer and walks out of the room backwards, keeping her eyes on Winter. She heads back to her own empty room and takes a plop on her mattress. Her body is so sore from sitting in the car and after all the help she did with some unpacking downstairs and rearranging the furniture and decorations all how Levana wanted that she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep.

"Cinder!"

Cinder groans at the sound of Levana's voice. She could never catch a break with this woman. Cinder drags herself off of her bed and walks down the stairs, her steps feeling as heavy as the furniture she had to push around earlier. She sees Levana standing in the middle of the living room, holding her phone from a finished call she was just having.

"I will be having a get-together later," Levana says, dialing another phone number into her phone before holding her device to her ear. "All the town's officials will be present, including the mayor."

"Why?" Cinder questions. "We just got here an hour ago. This is the only floor in the whole house unpacked and I think Winter's gone mute."

Levana sighs passively. "This is for work, dear. You and Winter will be staying in your rooms for the duration of the night."

"I'm not a child."

"Then be a responsible adult and put your room together tonight. Do I have to lock you in it?"

"Oh, please do." Cinder sarcastically begs. "It would be my dream to be locked away and miss your royal ball."

Cinder rolls her eyes. If Levana didn't start her next phone call, she would've seen Cinder's attitude. Then again, even if Levana did see her eye roll, it's not like she would've cared. In fact, it would be hypocritical for her to scold such an action since Levana rolls her eyes at her and Winter all the time.

Cinder heads back upstairs, happy that she's now a complete floor away from Levana. She passes by Winter's room and since she left the door open (which Winter obviously didn't close), she takes a peek inside and sees Winter now taking a nap on her bare mattress. The longer Cinder looks, she notices that Winter isn't moving. Suddenly alarmed at the idea that Winter could be dead, Cinder rushes in but stops at the edge of Winter's bed. Thankfully, her chest is moving up and down a little. Cinder sighs out of pure relief.

"Stars, she's a sleeper," Cinder says, backing out of Winter's room.

That light-hearted comment made her stop in her own steps. Cinder leans on the doorway and walks back into Winter's room. She looks in the box with Winter's linens and pulls out the blanket her birth mother knitted, the one with the winter scenery on it. Cinder ruffles it out before placing it on top of Winter and tucking her in it.

Cinder really did pity her cousin. Her last days in Artemisia, if anyone asked her, were awful. Actually, not even last days, more like last few years. Winter's issue started growing when she was thirteen. They were both seventeen now, living together since they were infants under Levana's guardianship. Levana wasn't the root of the problem nor was she the remedy. It's not like Cinder knew any of the true answers that could help because if she did, Winter would be awake and singing happily as she decorated her room, not exhausted from crying and imagining too much.

Cinder leaves Winter's room, being sure to close the door behind her. She returns to her room and finally takes a power nap on her bed. In wishful thinking, she hopes to sleep right until tomorrow but ends up waking up three hours later and well into the evening. Cinder gets up and decides to head out, only to find that her bedroom door has been locked. She places her head against the door, actually giving Levana some silent praise for locking her in during the work party taking place downstairs (which she can finally start hearing all the chattering and clinking glasses).

Cinder huffs, blowing some strands of hair out of her face even though they fall back into her eyes.

"Commonwealth sucks," she states.

* * *

 **I know that this is only the first chapter and none of you will really know what's happening but since I have a good portion of the story already planned, I can tell you that it's possibly one of my best stories so far.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What will Cinder do to pass the time? What will happen when Winter wakes up and leaves her room?**


	2. Winter's Melting: Part Two

**Typically, when I write new stories, I always give two chapters on the day I publish them so here you go.**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Two

Cinder figured to be useful while locked away in her room. She unpacked the most important boxes: toiletries, clothes, one ser of bedsheets just to put on her bed, and her computer to call her friend back home in Artemisia, Iko. As the call is ringing, Cinder throws her clothes in the closet, not really caring if they're not organized and become all wrinkled. She hopes Iko picks up, despite Artemisia being three hours ahead and it's already night time in Commonwealth.

 _Iko: Cinder!_

That distinguishable voice coming from Cinder's computer startled her, causing her to hit her head on one of her closet's shelves. Cinder curses and drops the clothing items she's holding. She runs over to her desk and sits in the chair, facing her friend on the screen.

"Iko!" Cinder exclaims, rubbing the bump that's slowly forming on her head. "I miss you so much!"

 _Iko: Girl, tell me, how is Commonwealth?!_

"Lame!" Cinder responds, shocking Iko on the other end. "Well, I wouldn't really know since all I've really seen is my bedroom."

Iko rests her head on her elbow, waiting for Cinder to continue explaining since she's still lost.

"Levana's throwing a work party downstairs and locked me in my room," Cinder explains.

Iko gasps.

 _Iko: Why would she do such a thing?_

Cinder shrugs. "Honestly, Levana probably thinks that I'm embarrassing which most may find cruel but I'm totally cool with it. I mean, Levana is _forcing_ me to stay away from her. It's a blessing in my eyes."

Iko laughs a little. Then her face perks up with an idea.

 _Iko: Just sneak out._

"What?" Cinder questions, shocked by that idea. "No."

 _Iko: C'mon, Cinder, you know how Levana is at parties. She probably already forgot that you exist. Besides, you're in a new town which means new places and new hotties._

Iko winks with a flirty undertone. Cinder rolls her eyes.

"You know what," Cinder says, putting on a pair of running shoes. "I will sneak out but not for the cute boys."

 _Iko: You go, girl! And you better call me when you get back!_

"I will if Levana doesn't kill me."

Cinder ends the video call. She finishes lacing up her shoes before looking around for a way out of her room. The locked door is obviously not an option which only leaves her with the window. Cinder runs over and opens it, seeing that if she were to jump, the worst that would happen is breaking her legs. She looks straight ahead and sees a tree that's nearly at arm's length. Cinder climbs onto her windowsill and launches herself towards the branch, swinging on it. For fear that the branch might break, she quickly shimmies across and down the tree.

"I almost lost my shoe up there..." Cinder mutters before running along the bushes and into the streets.

-o-

Levana lavishly accepts the compliments people give her on her beautiful house and her beautiful self. She glows brightly as she chats with her guests that consist of only Commonwealth's elite and government officials. Being in the political game herself, excellent and memorable first impressions were a must when it comes to being the new politician in town. Given that everyone around her is doing nothing but smiling and laughing all while drinking the finest wine the waiters are serving, Levana knows that she's doing a marvelous job when to comes to throwing a work party.

Then, her eyes open wide when she sees that the guest she's been waiting for finally arrives. She strides gracefully across her living room, picking up a glass of champagne for him and his teenage son whom he brought.

"Ms. Blackburn," he greets, holding out his hands for her.

"Mayor Rikan," Levana replies in the same welcoming manner.

Mayor Rikan of Commonwealth places his hands on Levana's forearms as he leans in forwards to kiss both of her cheeks. Levana puckers her lips as she returns the favor to him and gives him a glass of bubbling champagne.

"I'm sure you remember my son, Kai," Mayor Rikan says, opening an arm towards Kai.

Levana smiles brightly. "How could I forget your handsome son? You look just like your mother, God bless her soul."

Kai smiles bittersweetly at the mention of his mother, keeping his posture straight to avoid wrinkling his maroon shirt. He accepts the glass of champagne and takes a quick sip, quickly brushing his black hair away from his face.

"Thank you, Ms. Blackburn," Kai says. "Welcome to Commonwealth."

"Call me Levana," she says. Levana takes a quick look over her shoulder. "Kai, if you're hungry, I have some appetizers for you to eat. There's a waiter over there with some mini-sliders if that's your interest."

Kai nods as he excuses himself, leaving Levana and his father alone. He could tell that Levana just wanted to get a few private words in with his father. It's not like he minded since they're going to be talking business and he kind of wanted a mini-slider. Levana takes Mayor Rikan's arm and pulls him into the corner of the room where they were still visible to the other guests in attendance but far enough so that nobody could hear what they were about to discuss.

"You look well," Levana says to Mayor Rikan, "extremely well."

"Having you here brings life back into my system," he replies.

Levana grins. "I'm flattered."

He sighs. "I didn't think you would actually make the move out here given how much of a platform you had back in Artemisia."

"You called for help and I answered. Besides, Artemisia only reminds me of everyine who died. I am only here to help you."

"And I am grateful for that." He looks down at his untouched glass of champagne. "How are your girls? Are they somewhere here?"

"Oh, they're upstairs. Winter is easily distressed so all these new faces at once could unnerve her and Cinder is just exhausted."

"Understandable. Will they be attending Lunar Academy with my son?"

"Of course." She smiles a little. "It's only the finest school."

-o-

With her hands shoved in her pockets and her head looking at the ground, Cinder walks down the streets of her new neighborhood. Each house she passes is at least three storeys tall with classic cars in the driveway, a polished lawn and garden, a lavish porch out front, and a well-structured fence keeping it all in. Even in this completely different city, this still looks like the neighborhood they lived in back in Artemisia.

"Hey!" She hears someone call from behind her.

Cinder turns around and sees a boy riding a bike her way. She stops walking as the boy approaches her and stops his bike. He's young and seems to be her age with light brown hair, a square jaw that could cut glass, bright-blue eyes that glow in the dark, and dimples that give her a tempting bad vibe.

"I've never seen you around here before," he says to her.

"What makes you so sure?" Cinder questions, knowing that this boy has never seen her before since she's never been here before.

"For starters, I know all the hot girls in Commonwealth."

"What a coincidence, I know all the assholes in Commonwealth," Cinder says with an eye roll.

The boy laughs a little. "You're making jokes already, I like that. No, but seriously, did you just move here? I remember seeing some moving truck passing my house earlier."

Cinder nods. The boy shifts his position on his bike. They both stand in a bit of silence that was just starting to get awkward, especially since he was cleaned up nicely yet casual which properly represents the neighborhood's prestigious vibe whereas she only dressed in the clothes that weren't dirty.

"I'm Thorne, by the way," he introduces, holding out a hand for her.

"Cinder," she replies, firmly shaking his hand.

"Welcome to Commonwealth." He quickly runs a hand through his hair. "Are you going to be attending Lunar Academy?"

"Yup."

"Nice. I go there too. Hey, we could be friends."

Cinder rolls her eyes again, making Thorne laugh a little. She figures that maybe she could be friends with this Thorne character, despite his first impression for her being that he's a flirtatious asshole.

"Sure, why the stars not," Cinder says.

"That's the spirit!" Thorne exclaims sarcastically, lightly punching her arm. He obviously noticed her (possibly but hopefully not fake) disinterest. "Hey, are you heading anywhere in particular because I know a great place we could go to and get a bite to eat if you're hungry."

Cinder's actually starving but she doesn't want to look desperate in front of a boy like Thorne who would definitely get the idea that she's desperate and hungry for something else (for him in particular). To be fair, he wasn't an ugly boy but just a boy she wouldn't be caught kissing after midnight. Then again, if she were to go somewhere with this Thorne character, she could get to know someone in this new town, see new places, and bring something back for Winter as well.

"I could eat," Cinder says. "Where are we heading?"

"A diner called The Rampion. Sit on my handlebars and we'll bike there. It's not that far."

-o-

Winter wakes up from her slumber. She slowly rises from her mattress and sees the quilt her mother made for her covering her body. Winter tenses up a little but then feels the soft fabric of the blanket between her fingers which calms her body right down. She places the blanket by her side and slowly slides off her bed.

Winter opens her bedroom door and is unaware of Levana's gathering until she's reached the bottom of the staircase and sees everyone in attendance. She looks around and sees them all wearing red, specifically blood red. All of them are holding glasses filled with blood red wine. Winter's brain completely shuts down due to this mind game. When everyone else just sees an unknown girl, whom they assumed to be one of Levana's girls, standing there staring into nothing, they start talking.

Seeing all this blood causes Winter to start crying. Levana storms over but not for the means of comfort.

"Stepmother, everyone is bleeding," Winter sobs, "even you."

"Don't be ridiculous, Winter," Levana says annoyedly. She pulls out a key from her pocket and hands it to Winter. "Go be with Cinder. She's in her room."

Winter nods as she heads back upstairs. She walks down the hallways and stops right in front of Cinder's door. Winter knocks first, just to be polite and not barge in.

"Cinder, it's me," Winter says through the door. "Levana said I could come in so I'm just going to unlock the door, okay?"

* * *

 **So there are Thorne and Kai in the story.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Who else will Cinder and Thorne meet at The Rampion? What will happen when Winter unlocks the door?**


	3. Winter's Melting: Part Three

**For people who know me, you know that I will not publish a story without already having some chapter banked. As of right now, I have twelve chapters of this story ready to go.**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Three

"You are the absolute _worst_ driver ever!" Cinder exclaims, approaching The Rampion on foot after Thorne parked his bike and chained it to a nearby stop sign. "I'm going to buy you some training wheels and a damn helmet!"

"You're being over-dramatic," Thorne says casually as if nothing happened.

"You didn't warn me that we were going to approach a speed-bump! We went flying!"

"Hey, you were sitting on my handlebars, I couldn't see anything! I was putting my trust in someone I met ten minutes ago which is a big step in our growing friendship!"

Cinder rolls her eyes. She looks at Thorne who is smiling at her innocently with his perfect teeth. She groans as Thorne laughs. He pulls Cinder around him and plants her feet on the ground. He lifts her chin up to look at the bright red and cursive neon letters above the restaurant that spell out, _'The Rampion'_. He then walks ahead of her and holds the door open for Cinder. She walks in, purposely not saying thanks to him which he expected.

Cinder is amazed the moment she walks in. The Rampion is this retro space diner, each waiter and waitress dress in different colored space suits with a small planet on their chest, beside their name tags. Beside the bar in the middle of the diner where the kitchen is, the diner is surrounded by bright red booths that blow Cinder's mind. She looks up and sees the ceiling fully decorated with planets and constellations.

"Wow," Cinder says, that one word taking all the breath from her lungs.

Thorne grins at her, proud of the impression he believes he's making on Cinder, before looking around the diner.

"Now, where is my favorite waitress?" He continues looking around and stops when he spots her. "Scarlet! Scarlet Benoit!"

From behind the bar, a fair-skinned girl with the biggest red curls pops out in a light blue spacesuit. Thorne purposely gives her a giddy, childish wave and Scarlet replies with the most irritated expression on her face that makes Cinder crack a smile.

"Word of advice, Thorne," Scarlet starts, "don't piss off the people who handle your food."

Scarlet goes into the kitchen as Thorne and Cinder stand there with no words.

"She loves me," Thorne says about Scarlet as he starts heading over to a booth for the two of them.

"Of course she does," Cinder replies with an eye roll. "Who _doesn't_ love you, Thorne?"

"I can list a few people but I don't love them back so it's all good."

Cinder laughs.

-o-

After buying their food, Cinder and Thorne head back out to his bike where he kneels down to unlock it. Hearing something behind her, Cinder turns her head and sees a group of three boys by the diner who are smoking cigarettes right next to a 'no smoking' sign. Call it stereotypical but despite not knowing them personally, Cinder gets a bad vibe in her stomach about those boys and Thorne catches her looking at them.

"Cinder, quit staring," Thorne orders softly.

Cinder notices how serious Thorne is suddenly being so she turns her head towards him instead. He unlocks his bike and starts walking it, keeping his eye on the group of boys over there.

"Who are they?" Cinder whispers.

"The Wolf Pack," Thorne responds, helping Cinder onto his bike's handlebars. "Their leader - the big buff one in the middle - is literally named Wolf. The other two are his minions who aren't really that credible to be given names. Cinder, take my advice, if you're going to be living in Commonwealth for long, stay away from them."

Cinder eyes him for a while. "You're in trouble with them, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately from time to time I am."

"So you do have people who don't love you."

"Oh, they still love me. They just love chasing me around."

-o-

Winter opens Cinder's door and is appalled by what she sees: the bedroom walls are dripping blood, staining all of Cinder's belongings and bedsheets. Winter chokes on a gasp as her eyes open as wide as possible. She closes the door and runs back downstairs to the party in hopes to find Levana. Her head spins around frantically, seeing endless people in blood-drenched clothing.

Her body is shaking as people side-step her, staining her own clothes with the blood from theirs. Winter begins tearing up until she feels a hand touch her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Someone asks her.

Winter turns around and sees Kai even though she doesn't really know him; all that she knows is that he's the mayor's son since that was one thing she remembers Levana telling her back in Artemisia before they moved to Comonwealth. Kai has the hunch that the girl he's looking at one of Levana's girls but doesn't say anything just yet because he feels as if her bewildered expression should be addressed first.

"Are you okay?" Kai repeats to her.

Winter's mouth parts a little. "Cinder's room is bleeding."

Kai is taken aback by those words. "I'm sorry, what?"

"It's bleeding everywhere!" She screams.

As Winter continues her rant about the blood, heads start to turn and eyes fall on her. Her mouth explodes as it shares the fantasies in her head. Some people are spooked as they start talking amongst themselves. Then, Levana pops out of the crowd and takes Winter by the wrist.

"As you were!" Levana yells at everyone.

Levana drags Winter to the stairwell, keeping a tight grip on her wrist. Winter could feel Levana's fingers burning into her skin which will definitely leave marks. The guests assume that Levana's stepdaughter is only tired from the move so they don't talk much about the surprising outburst.

"What is the matter with you?!" Levana whispers harshly to Winter.

"Cinder's not in her room," Winter says. "I think she drowned in all the blood."

"Cinder's not there?!" Levana fumes, ignoring the second part of what Winter said.

Levana starts storming up the stairs as Winter follows.

-o-

"This is me," Cinder says, jumping off of Thorne's handlebars once they return to her mansion.

Thorne looks at the mansion and his jaw drops open. "No way, my parents are at this party!"

Cinder smirks. "I wasn't invited to the so-called party. I basically escaped out of jail."

"Same here! My parents find me a disgrace so I wasn't allowed to come." Thorne tilts his head a little. "Hit me up the next time you want to escape jail together."

"Will do."

Cinder is about to head back inside through the way she left until she hears Thorne calling her back. She turns around to face him again.

"Give me your number so I can text you before school."

"Fine," Cinder says, handing her phone to Thorne.

Thorne types his contact info into her phone. He takes a quick selfie to use as his contact photo. Cinder narrows her eyes a little before rolling them. When he hands back her phone, she sends him a quick text just so he has her number on his phone.

"Just know that you having my number doesn't give you permission to send or request nudes," Cinder says strictly.

"I know you want those from me but I will respect your policies."

"Bye, Thorne." Her tone pleasantly annoyed with him.

Thorne gives her his classic grin before biking off. Cinder runs back to the tree she used to climb out and quickly climbs back up. She leaps back in her bedroom window, happy that she had a fun night out (what made it more fun was that she snuck out of Levana's control). Speaking of Levana, Cinder can hear her heels clicking down the hallway, coming her way. Cinder quickly closes her window, throws the takeout bag for Winter under her bed, and bellyflops on her bed, pretending to nap. Levana enters the room with Winter behind her and Cinder pretends to wake up from a nap she never took.

"Winter..." Levana mutters, sounding like a ticking time bomb about to go off.

Winter suddenly goes pale. "I swear, Levana, Cinder wasn't in here earlier - "

"Quit embarrassing me!"

And in a flash, Levana slaps Winter across the face, right where her scars are. Winter holds her right cheek in pure horror as Levana's eyes pierce through her aura. Levana storms back downstairs, Winter and Cinder in shock. Cinder gets up and pulls Winter in, sitting her on her bed.

"I'm so sorry, Winter," Cinder says to her. "I really did sneak out. I didn't think anyone would be coming up here. But I brought you something."

Cinder stretches underneath her bed and pulls out the paper bag from The Rampion. She takes out the cheeseburger and puts it on Winter's lap. Winter doesn't respond to it, she only stares out into nothing with her hand resting on the cheek Levana slapped.

"Levana killed our parents..." Winter whispers. Cinder says nothing because she is appalled by that strong statement. "Your silence means that you agree."

Cinder immediately clears her throat with a small cough.

"No," Cinder replies. "Winter, that's not true and you know that. Levana wasn't even there when my mom died, same goes for your mom, and she sobbed endlessly after your father passed overseas. I think she still does."

"Don't remind me of those nightmares, please, even though I know you didn't intend to. My face says just something totally different."

Cinder sighs. "You may have three scars on your face but Levana has three thousand scars on her heart."

Cinder pulls Winter in a hug, her comforting embrace was all she needed to fully let go and cry. Cinder pulls Winter in closer, her step-cousin's head resting against her own. Even if Levana was their legal guardian on paper, they really felt as if they only had each other.

"What is this?" Winter asks about the cheeseburger that's sitting in her lap.

"Food from The Rampion," Cinder replies. "I'm going to take you there sometime and we're not using Thorne's bike as a horse-drawn carriage."

As Winter slowly unwraps the cheeseburger and eats it, Cinder begins to tell her all about her night sneaking out and what parts of Commonwealth she saw. There was still so much more but that's for another day.

* * *

 **And now Scarlet and Wolf are here. Just know that all the main characters will be introduced in the first nine or ten chapters. As the story progresses, others will be focused on but they will all be here.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Tomorrow will be Cinder's first day at Lunar Academy.**


	4. Winter's Melting: Part Four

**I don't know if I've mentioned this yet but every character in the main group will have an arc named after them.**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Four

It's 6 AM and Cinder grunts heavily as she puts her pillows over her ears to drown out the sound of her blaring alarm clock. Eventually, Cinder groans as she slumps out of bed and turns off her irritating alarm. Cinder pauses, basking in the silence of her early morning before forcing herself to get up and face her first day at her new school. She yawns and stretches her back and limbs, hearing some relieving cracks before heading out of her bedroom.

Cinder walks out of her bedroom and sees Levana standing over the vanity in the bathroom. The door is left slightly open and Cinder can't help but take a peek inside. She sees Levana already dressed in one of her designer pantsuits and heels, applying her usual heavy makeup. They say that having too much sugar isn't good so early in the morning but Levana always has a habit of caking her face with loads of overly-priced cosmetics. Levana catches Cinder's eyes looking at her through the mirror and Cinder is just too tired to pretend that she wasn't watching.

"Your school uniform is downstairs on the dining room table," Levana tells her.

Cinder nods as she shuffles down the stars. On the dining room table, she sees it all laid out for her, crisp without one single wrinkle in sight: a dark navy polo with a silver crescent moon on the chest (Lunar Academy's logo), gray and dark purple plaid and pleated skirt, gray and navy argyle knee-high socks, and black dress shoes. That entire outfit makes Cinder since she finds it to be so ugly.

Cinder then notices that there's only one set of uniform on the table.

"What about Winter?" Cinder asks Levana, making her voice louder so her aunt could hear her from downstairs.

Levana scoffs loudly. "Winter isn't mentally stable in this house. I can't bring myself to imagine her at school."

Cinder takes her uniform from the table and starts running up the stairs back to her bedroom. If Levana didn't scoff before replying, Cinder would've assumed that Levana was actually being sympathetic towards Winter. Then again, Levana having a heart is a conspiracy theory so she wouldn't ever expect Levana to be kind.

Cinder enters her her room and sees her laptop flashing with new messages. She clicks on it and sees that it's from Iko about last night.

 _Iko: You didn't get back to me last night :(_

 _Iko: I need to know if Commonwealth has cute boys because if so then I'll start packing my bags._

 _Iko: Don't tell me Levana killed you._

 _Iko: Please tell me that you're alive._

 _Iko: CINDER!_

Cinder blinks, realizing that she didn't get back to Iko after the drama from last night involving Levana and Winter. She throws her uniform on her bed, getting it all wrinkled as she goes to lean over her desk chair to reply, smirking at the messages.

 _Cinder: Wicked Aunt didn't kill me, shockingly._

Minutes after.

 _Iko: YOU LIVE!_

 _Iko: CINDER LIVES!_

 _Iko: NOW INFORM ME ON BOYS!_

 _Iko: Only the cute ones though._

Cinder rolls her eyes, laughing a little as she proceeds to type her answer.

 _Cinder: A met a boy who's only my friend._

 _Cinder:_ _boy-FRIEND._

 _Cinder: Do you get that Iko?_

 _Cinder: boy-FRIEND._

 _Iko: Don't lie, girl, I know you'll be kissing him in no time. ;)_

 _Cinder: Not this one, believe me._

 _Iko: Whatever you say._

Cinder snickers, making a pledge to herself that she will never _ever_ be romantically involved with Thorne. He was that kind of boy who seemed more into himself than her, despite his obvious attraction towards hot girls. Cinder just knows that she and Thorne will be friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

As she goes to change out of her pajamas and into her uniform, she hears her phone vibrate with a text message. She finishes putting on her shirt and looks at her phone, seeing a message from Thorne or as he put his contact name on her phone as Captain Thorne.

 _Captain Thorne: Cinder, I'm giving you a ride to school._

 _Cinder: After seeing how you maneuver a bike, I fear to see how you drive an actual car._

 _Cinder: And I'm changing your contact name._

 _Captain Thorne: Too bad, I'm already at your house._

 _Captain Thorne: And my contact name for you is Crewmate Cinder so Captain Thorne is fitting._

-o-

After parking his car on the side of the road, just outside the mansion, Thorne steps out and closes the door behind him. His school uniform is almost the same as Cinder's with the only real difference is that instead of the pleated skirt, the boys get gray pleated pants. He walks up the driveway and stops himself from knocking. He uses his reflection in the window to fix his hair and straighten his uniform, making sure he looks good for his own sake since Cinder will never be interested in him. Once he finds himself to be handsome (which doesn't take long since he already considers himself to be gorgeous), he knocks firmly on the door.

He waits on his toes for a few seconds until the door opens. Expecting to see Cinder, he flashes her his signature cocky grin but finds himself fixing his posture when he sees a girl with dark skin, loud ringlet curls, and bandages on one cheek at the other side of the door. Her face is a poker face with no emotions present. If Thorne didn't find her so goddamn attractive, he would be blowing her away with his wit and charm, but no words come out of his mouth.

"Are you lost?" The girl asks him.

"Uh, nope," Thorne replies, suddenly regaining his stellar confidence back. "I'm looking for Cinder."

Then, he hears Cinder charging down the stairs with a backpack flying over one shoulder. Cinder side-steps the girl at the door and looks at her when she's standing beside Thorne.

"I'm heading to school," Cinder tells her. "I'll see you when I get home."

The girl nods. "Have fun."

Cinder nods back as she closes the door, leaving her and Thorne standing awkwardly at the doorway. Cinder then takes the lead up to Thorne's car and he jogs behind to catch up.

"Who was that beauty?" Thorne asks.

"My step-cousin Winter," Cinder replies. "Why?"

"I don't trust her."

"You just met her and didn't even say ten words to each other."

"I don't trust people who are hotter than me."

Cinder narrows her eyes at him before getting in his car. "But you trust me?"

Thorne smirks. "Don't be offended by the fact that we're equally pretty - which is already high on the spectrum."

Cinder rolls her eyes as she gets in the passenger's seat. Thorne laughs to himself as he gets in the car and starts driving them to school.

"Can I ask what happened to Winter's face?" Thorne questions. "You know, with all the bandages?"

"Oh, yeah, that's totally fine," Cinder replies. "She fell and got trampled."

Thorne nods as he focuses back on the road. Little did he notice Cinder fidgeting with her fingers as she was saying that.

"By the way," Cinder says, "Winter already has a boyfriend."

Thorne curses which ends up making Cinder smile.

-o-

Thorne parks his car in the school parking lot. He rushes out of his car in order to be a gentleman and open the door for Cinder but she was already out. Just like at The Rampion, Cinder was looking at the school with amazement in her eyes. The building looked like an enormous castle with pristine limestone walls and mystic looking fences all around. Not one piece of litter was in sight which was a shock considering the number of students Cinder's seeing alone. The students seemed to be in the thousands, all wearing identical uniforms.

"Oh my god," Cinder mutters in shock. "What do I do?"

She looks at Thorne who's laughing loudly.

"I am the _worst_ person to ask," Thorne says, "but I'll take you to the main office and they'll take care of you."

At the main office, Cinder is greeted by the secretaries in a cheery and peppy manner that makes Cinder feel incredibly awkward. Thorne patiently sits in the reception area seats, watching and enjoying Cinder mentally wanting to run out of this forced joy. They pass Cinder her school timetable and then make eye contact with Thorne. Thorne mentally curses to himself, thinking that he should've just ditched Cinder, but he just _had_ to be a good friend.

"Carswell Thorne," the secretary calls. He stands up, watching Cinder's eyes bulge open at the sound of his first name (which he never told her). "I take it that you will escort Cinder to her first class which starts in ten minutes."

"Definitely," Thorne replies.

"Oh, and Cinder, when will your cousin, Winter Hayle-Blackburn be joining us?"

Cinder shrugs. "The move really got to her so she's healing."

The secretary nods and wishes her a good day. Cinder and Thorne both leave the office. Just one step out the door has Cinder laughing so hard that she has to bend over and hold her cramping side. Thorne crosses his arms and glares at her with narrow eyes since he knows exactly what she's laughing at. Cinder stands back up straight and catches her breath before facing Thorne again.

" _Carswell_?" Cinder questions even though she knows the answer. "Your name is seriously _Carswell_?"

Thorne sighs. "It's a stupid name if you ask me. I see it as a bastardization of my family's noble lineage."

"I find it funny."

"Says the one with the name _Cinder_."

Cinder opens her mouth to argue back but stops herself. "Point taken."

Thorne leads Cinder through the crowded hallways and drops her off at her classroom. Since he doesn't share this specific class with her, he leaves her, saying for her to meet him at his car after school. Cinder nods and says bye to Thorne just as the bell rings, signaling the start of class. Cinder walks in the classroom and is immediately flushed with unfamiliar faces. She takes a seat in the first empty seat she sees and sits down in it. The girl sitting in front of her spins around, her vibrant red curls spiraling.

"How do you know Thorne?" She asks.

"You mean _Carswell_?" Cinder questions just so she could say that name again.

The redhead smirks. "I was your waitress at The Rampion last night."

Cinder's mouth opens in realization, remembering the curls. She was the waitress who Thorne playfully flirted with and she threatened to kill him. Scarlet Benoit was her name.

"You're not dating him, are you?" Scarlet asks with a sour taste in her mouth.

"God, no!" Cinder exclaims too quickly. "I would never date _Carswell_."

Scarlet laughs with a small snort in it. "I can tell you and I will be amazing friends."

* * *

 _ **Stay Tuned**_ **\- Thorne (or should I say _Carswell_ ) has a bad reputation with a certain group of boys...**


	5. Winter's Melting: Part Five

**After learning that my summer vacation will literally be nothing, I came here to update.**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Five

At the end of the day, Cinder and Scarlet walk through the school parking lot together. Cinder found her first day at Lunar Academy to be quite decent. Despite hating the uniform, the cafeteria food, and the homework she got; she formally met Scarlet whom she also considers being a quick friend. The two of them spot Thorne in the parking lot, sitting on the front hood of his car as he waits for Cinder.

"If you want, Scarlet," Thorne says as the girls approach him. "I could give you a ride. I would do anything for you."

Scarlet rolls her eyes. "Goodbye, Cinder, see you tomorrow. Thorne...jump into a pool of piranhas if you're willing to do anything for me."

And with that comment, the red curls were bouncing their own way.

"She loves me," Thorne whispers to Cinder.

"She wants you dead," Cinder shoots back.

"That's Scarlet Benoit for _'I love you'_. Maybe it's a French thing."

Cinder shakes her head. "French doesn't work like that."

Thorne scoffs as he slides off the hood of his car and opens the door for her with wide arms. "Your humble carriage awaits."

Cinder snorts a small laugh. "What are you, the horse?"

Thorne narrows his eyes. "Ha, ha, very funny."

They both sit in the car and Thorne puts the key in the ignition to start the engine. It whirrs but dies down. At a second attempt, the same result happens. Thorne curses as he slams his hands on the radio. Cinder sits back, keeping silent even though she wants to say something. Thorne goes for the third attempt and thinks it's working, but the noise actually ends up being laughter coming from a gang of boys who stand against a fence, smoking as they mock Thorne. Cinder recognizes them from the boys outside The Rampion, the ones who Thorne told her not to look at. Looking at the curiosity on Cinder's face, Thorne sees her wondering about the boys.

"Ugh, not them. I have no doubts that Wolf was the one who did this to my precious car."

" _Wolf_?" Cinder questions. "Why do we all have weird names?"

Thorne smirks, then remembers the state of his car. "Yeah, they kind of hate me."

"If tampering with your car is _kind of_ hate, then what would happen if they really hate you?"

Thorne shudders. "I'd rather not find out."

Cinder steps out of the car and walks to the front of it. Thorne steps out and watches her as she opens the trunk and begins poking around. If Thorne said he wasn't the least bit impressed or turned on, he would be lying right through his teeth.

"You can fix cars?" Thorne questions. "How?"

Cinder shrugs as she pokes around Thorne's car. "I just kind of look at things and figure out how it works. I used to tamper around with little things around the house. I remember taking apart the toaster and putting it back together, constructing birdhouses for Winter, purposely dismantling Levana's espresso machine just to see the look on her face - anything."

When Cinder is done fixing what she can, she closes the hood and Thorne goes back into his car to test it. When the engine whirrs, Cinder brushes her greasy hands on the skirt of her school uniform. She sits back in the car and Thorne is beyond amazed by what he just witnessed.

"You know, if you don't want to go back home which I know you don't," Thorne starts as he pulls out of the school. "There is a garage just thirty minutes away and I think they're looking for a new mechanic. You will definitely get hired. Not only are you actually good at fixing things from what I've seen and they would love to have a female mechanic."

"I think that's what you would want."

"My wants are the same as everyone's wants."

-o-

At the garage, Cinder sits for her job interview which happened the moment she walked in and asked for one. She sits with a straight back to give a confident vibe since she is a girl wearing a skirt (since she's still wearing her school uniform) in a place full of overgrown and greasy men with unknown intentions. The one giving her the interview was the owner who seemed to be a well-off man with gigantic biceps and tattoos covering both of them. He looks at Cinder as if she's a little girl who has lost her mommy at the mall.

" _You_ can fix cars?" The owner questions with disbelief.

"You say that as if it's supposed to be hard to do," Cinder replies bluntly, making the owner sit back in his seat since he wasn't expecting this attitude.

"Do you have any experience with mechanics?"

"Not credible ones."

"When was the last time you fixed a car?"

"Less than an hour ago. I fixed Carswell Thorne's car."

An eyebrow shoots up at the mention of his name. Maybe Thorne wasn't kidding when he said his family had a _'noble lineage'_. After this, Cinder makes a note to herself to never tell Thorne about this since his ego is already inflated enough. The owner stands up from his seat and opens the door for Cinder. She walks out and the owner leads her to the actual garage. Cinder feels as if she's in heaven with all the dismantled cars and tools in sight along with the smell of motor oil mixed with car polish. The owner notices her pleasure and takes note of that.

"Okay, girlie," the owner says to her, "prove your worth by handling this car."

"Sure," Cinder says, readjusting her messy ponytail.

The owner leaves her to check on another employee. Cinder looks at the engine and examines it, looking for the problem that brought it here in the first place. Seeing nothing in sight, she figures that she has to look at the bottom of the car. On a normal day, Cinder would dive right under that car without another thought but today just had to be the day she was wearing a skirt with many men surrounding her. Cinder sighs, getting down there while holding her skirt down.

-o-

About an hour later, Kai walks into the garage and approaches the front desk.

"Is my car ready yet?" Kai asks.

"It is," the secretary of the garage replies. "The owner wanted me to let you know that he had a rookie mechanic take a look at it."

Kai nods skeptically but smiling. He only hopes that this rookie didn't destroy his car.

Kai walks into the garage, careful in his steps. He doesn't want to slip on an oil spill or trip over a disregarded tool. This place was a mess: covered in sweaty men, damaged cars, rusted prongs, dirty towels, dented panels, bins of screws and bolts with an excessive amount in all, and other objects Kai couldn't name. He sees his car in the back and heads over to it. The closer he gets, he sees a pair of bare legs coming out from underneath his car. Kai's mouth opens, slightly confused. He looks around, on his toes, unsure of how to take this situation. What could he possibly say right now? _'Hey, I'm the owner of this car'_ or _'Please, don't be dead and naked underneath.'_

Before he could say anything, the person rolls out from underneath the car. Thankfully, there were no dead bodies on sight. The mechanic stands up and to his surprise, it's a teenage girl his age. _A girl his age is fixing his car_. He has no words but she has her hair in a mess and oil and grease all in her hair, face, and school uniform (which matches his).

Her hair was unkempt bangs that seemed as if she cut them herself without a mirror. She looked as though she never put thought into how she looked. Nevertheless, she was beautiful. Beautiful and trying to say something to him.

"Is this your car?" She asks him for possibly the fifth time, this time she emphasizes every syllable.

"Oh," Kai says, quickly clearing his throat with a cough. "Yes, yes this Nainsi - my car, Nainsi."

The girl nods, wiping her hands on a greasy towel, doing nothing to help her but she doesn't seem to care. Even the oddity of naming a car doesn't faze her and he can't help but admire that. She raises an eyebrow at him, noticing the surprise on his face.

"You were assuming a Hercules-looking man covered in tattoos and three-day-old sweat to be fixing your car," she states.

"Or an old man," Kai replies. "I don't mean to offend you in any way but if you are great at what you do, then anyone could fix my car. I would love to assign you to fix my car for the rest of time."

The girl looks up at him with a hopeful smile. "I'm not even sure I'm getting this job."

"I'm going to put in a good word for you. The best word possible." He looks down at her school uniform and figures that he should know this girl since they apparently go to the same school, but he doesn't even recognize her for some reason. "I'm Kai, by the way."

"Cinder."

He shakes her dirty hand without one single objection.

-o-

Cinder walks through the front door well into the evening and is greeted by Levana giving her a face of disgust, an expression that Cinder is already all-too comfortable with. She can't blame her wicked aunt for looking at her like this because unlike past times, she actually has reasons. Cinder just came back from the garage still covered in sweat and motor oil.

"You're late and look horrendous," Levana says to her.

"Hello to you too, Levana," Cinder greets bitterly.

"Please explain yourself."

"I got a job as a mechanic."

Levana takes a sharp and steady breath. Cinder wants to say that she sees a sense of pride for her niece in Levana's eyes but that's probably stretching it. If anything, Levana is still attempting to process that her niece is now working at a place like a garage. Cinder could get a job anywhere. _Anywhere_. And yet, she ends up as a mechanic.

"Well," Levana starts, "at least you are making money and proper use of yourself. Now, get washed before you stain all the furniture."

From upstairs, Winter listens to Cinder's conversation with Levana. By the end of it, Winter just feels like a disgraced burden to the household.

* * *

 **If there's one thing (out of many) that I have no knowledge in, it's cars.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Winter's going to take matters into her own hands.**


	6. Winter's Melting: Part Six

**It's almost 1AM where I am but I'm bored and in a good mood.**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Six

The next morning, Cinder stands in the bathroom multitasking. She's brushing her teeth with an excessive amount of toothpaste and making her hair into a ponytail with a rubber band since she can't find a legitimate hair tie. Her toothbrush sits in her foamy mouth, being held in place by her teeth as she ties her hair. Her eyebrows shoot up when she hears a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," Cinder says with the toothbrush in her mouth. It falls out and leaves a white toothpaste stain on her dark uniform shirt (which will never come out). She lightly curses and the elastic band in her hand snaps against her skull.

Winter pops in, wearing her overly-fluffy bathrobe. She turns on the bathtub and as it fills up, she sits on the countertop. Cinder tries to deal with the toothpaste stain on her shirt by rubbing the fabric together which does nothing but make it worse. Winter takes Cinder's messy ponytail into her hands. She takes out the elastic which makes Cinder scream in pain and grip the roots of her hair to lessen the pain. Winter shushes her soothingly as she proceeds to comb through her knotted brown hair with her fingers and reties it nicely with the elastic.

"Thanks," Cinder says.

"I heard you got a job," Winter says.

Cinder smiles to herself, not only proud of herself for getting the job but that Winter was making an effort to start a conversation with someone that wasn't in her head.

"I did," Cinder replies, still smiling. "I got my dream job. I'm literally the only female mechanic in that whole place. I had to do my training by fixing someone's car and the funny thing it, it was a boy who goes to our school."

"Who?" Winter asks only to keep the conversation going. She wouldn't know who it is since she still hasn't gone to school yet.

"Kai."

Winter's mouth forms an 'o' shape which weirds Cinder out since Winter actually had a reaction to his name. Ever since they moved to Commonwealth, Winter's only been in one place: their mansion. And Cinder could vouch that Winter's only seen her face and Levana's, and maybe a few nameless people from Levana's party.

"Kai," Winter repeats. "Asian boy about our age with long-ish black hair."

Cinder nods suspiciously, not seeing the point or how the hell Winter knows this. Winter smiles a little, nudging Cinder by the shoulders.

"Kai is the mayor's son!" Winter exclaims excitedly.

Cinder shrugs.

-o-

Winter sits in her bathtub, staring right into the tiled wall as she pops all the mimosa scented bubbles and hums a song that is in tune with her action. If the water was any hotter, she could melt away. Her mind wanders off into the land of illusion that's in her mind, seeing herself jumping from one bubble-shaped musical note to the next. Then her notes all pop on their own when she hears someone enter the bathroom. Feeling vulnerable, she turns around and only sees Levana standing in the doorway.

"I'm heading to work," Levana tells her. "If you have an emergency then call me but please don't have an emergency."

Winter nods. Levana just leaves without saying another word.

Winter waits in anticipation for the front door to close and lock, along with the sound of Levana's car driving way. Once that happens, Winter hops out of the tub. She drains the tub and throws her bathrobe back on. When she catches her reflection in the mirror, she finds herself humming again as she the three scars just beneath her eye. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

 _"You look beautiful, my Winter, just like your mother."_

"Thank you, Dad," Winter replies softly.

She skips downstairs, still wearing her bathrobe. On the dining room table, she sees a set of various clothing items all the same. The closer she looks, she sees that it's her school uniform with a note on top.

 _'Fold and iron your uniform but DO NOT leave this house' - Levana_

Winter takes the uniform and puts it on her bed. She holds the skirt in her hands and looks at it for longer than she should. Winter finds herself being quite fond of the skirt so she goes to try it on. Looking in the mirror, Winter moves her hips from side-to-side, amazed by how the skirt flows at her knees. She goes to put on the matching uniform polo just to complete the set and she is in love with how it all looks on her. There was something about being professional that amazed Winter.

She sits back down on her bed and starts to take off her uniform but her head starts to echo with Levana's words of unemotional pride towards Cinder for getting a job and her not being useless around here. It felt like a direct jab at her since all she does around here is nothing notable.

Playing with the hem of her school uniform skirt, Winter figures why not put this outfit to the use it was made for.

-o-

With her school timetable folded neatly in her hands, Winter steps out of the main office. She quiets down the voices in her head as it fills up with voices from everybody else. Feeling the sensation of panic coming, she quickly starts humming to herself which can't be heard over all the outstanding noise. Winter instantly regrets coming here to show Levana off but it's too late to back down - especially since she forgets where she came in from.

Winter turns around and what gets her heart racing is that all eyes are on her. She instantly hears them talking: about her and the scars running down her face. She starts trembling. Winter turns around and starts running until she loses focus and crashes into a pack of boys.

Once on the ground, Winter looks up and sees three incredibly tall and muscular boys staring down at her with pointed eyes and malicious grins. In her mind, she sees red flags being waved spastically - red flags stained with blood.

"Hello there, Cutie," one of them snarls at her, possibly the leader. "We're the Wolf Pack."

Winter trembles too much to respond. She wounds up her limbs as she remains on the ground. From the few seconds she's been here, she can already tell that these are the boys that nobody messes around with. These boys are the top of the food chain and nobody dares to change it.

"Look at the scars on her face," another wolf points out, bending down to get a closer look. "They somehow make her face look prettier."

"This is fresh meat that fought back."

"Oh! I see we have a fighter on our territory."

To Winter's surprise, the wolf that was close into her face suddenly gets pushed aggressively against the lockers. Winter looks up and sees a girl covered in red - she isn't sure if it's blood or just how she is, but Winter still freaks out. The wolf holds his fist out towards the red girl and the red girl does nothing but cross her arms and narrow her eyebrows at him.

"Beat it before I pull out my gun and call out 'Hunting season!'" The red girl states.

"You don't scare us, Benoit!"

"Try me."

Her sharp eyes dare them. Under the direction of the pack leader, Wolf, he holds back his henchmen. He eyes the red girl for seconds longer before dismissing himself and his pack. The red girl then turns around and faces the rest of the student body who have only surrounded with no reaction.

"Is there something wrong with all of you?!" She exclaims. "Quit staring!"

As the other students slowly disperse, Winter cautiously sits up as the red girl kneels beside her. Winter tenses up a little but then realizes that the red girl is simply a girl with red curls and a red hoodie over her school uniform. Then she realizes that the red girl has been saying something to her.

"Are you alright?" She repeats for possibly the tenth time.

Winter nods.

"I'm Scarlet, by the way," the red girl introduces. "Scarlet Benoit."

"Winter," she mumbles back. "Winter Hayle-Blackburn."

Scarlet smiles a little as she pulls Winter back up on her feet, thinking a little about how that name sounds so familiar but can't figure out why. Winter brushes off her clothes and her hair, trying to look as though that attack didn't affect her at all. That mask is easy for Scarlet to see through. Scarlet opens her mouth to say something but her eyes immediately land on something behind Winter. Winter doesn't even have to turn around to know what's there since she could recognize those clicking heels anywhere.

Winter starts shivering as she turns around to look at Levana staring down at her with her utmost perfect posture and boiling blood.

-o-

After a silent car ride, Levana throws Winter back into their house and locks the door. She sits on the bottom stair as Levana stands above her with her perfect poise. Winter looks back at Levana and even though she knows what will come, she is still petrified.

"I told you to do something simple," Levana says calmly with angry undertones in her voice, "fold and iron your uniform but stay home!"

Her voice escalates by the last two words. Winter could feel Levana's steam making her sweat.

"I can't stand being here," Winter finally admits, choking back a small sob.

"Where?" Levana questions. "In this house or in Commonwealth? Saying either won't make a difference since you said the same thing about Artemisia!"

Winter can't respond back because Levana is right. Before they all moved to Commonwealth which is located in the country, The Earthen Union, they lived in Artemisia which is the capital city of a country overseas, Luna. Winter was happy in Artemisia but then a series of unfortunate events escalated for the family which deteriorated Winter, further prompting Levana to pack up everything and ship them all here under a short notice. There were other reasons too but that was certainly one of them.

"I could've saved her, Levana," Winter says before sobbing into her knees.

Levana takes a deep breath, her face still showing no pity for her stepdaughter. Instead, she brings a hand to her temple and forces herself to say something that she has told Winter for years.

"There was nothing you could've done. You and Cinder could've died as well. Consider yourself lucky that the worst that happened to you were those hideous scars that vandalized your face."

Winter musters up enough courage to stand up from her crying and look Levana in the eyes. Her eyes are still full of tears and the ones that have fallen trace her scars.

"I couldn't have done anything then," Winter states, "and I still can't do anything now, so what is the point in all this, Stepmother? Tell me."

Levana, for once, is left with no words.

* * *

 **Off topic but Scarlet is me at school: pushes people over and yells at others.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- How is Cinder going to react to this and will she have a way to solve this problem?**


	7. Winter's Melting: Part Seven

**I updated my other two stories so I figured that I might as well do the same for this one. Also, I am currently working on the last chapter of the second arc and I am just so excited for it that I want to publish it so here's this chapter to get there faster.**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Seven

During the course of the school day, the student body is talking immensely about what happened in the hallways between the beautiful strange girl with the three scars under her eye and the Wolf Pack. The moment those rumors entered Cinder's ears, her heart dropped, not believing what she's hearing. She didn't want to believe them to be true but for a false story, it had some very specific details about her own step-cousin. Once Cinder heard that Scarlet was there to save the beautiful strange girl with the three scars under her eyes, she goes to confront her.

The moment she spots the redhead, Cinder grabs Scarlet's bicep and drags her to the corner of the hallways. Scarlet doesn't object and just plays along with it.

"What happened to the girl with the scars?!" Cinder asks, her voice rushed in a whispered panic.

"From what I saw, the Wolf Pack kept on taunting her," Scarlet responds coyly, automatically knowing who Cinder's talking about. "Then some lady who I assumed was her mom came out of nowhere to get her. Why'd you ask? Do you know Winter?"

Cinder quickly nods, Scarlet notices her worried eyes.

"Winter's my step-cousin," Cinder says.

Scarlet pauses as she hears those words, not fully understanding a self-explanatory statement. Then it clicks together: Cinder Blackburn. Winter Hayle-Blackburn. However, it is still fuzzy for her to fully comprehend since sharing a last name could be nothing more than just a coincidence.

"How are you two related?" Scarlet asks. "I mean, I get the whole _step-cousin_ part but I just don't get the actual relation part. You two look nothing alike."

Cinder takes a breath. "My mom's sister is Winter's stepmom."

Scarlet nods. "So, did your whole family move here from Luna?"

Cinder shakes her head. "I've been living with Winter and her step-monster aka my aunt for as long as I can remember. My mom died when I was an infant and I don't even know who my dad is. Nobody does unless Levana - my aunt - just isn't telling me which she probably has her own secret reasons for. Also, both of Winter's biological parents are dead so it's literally just the three of us."

Scarlet is left speechless before saying, "Aces, that's really a lot to have to go through."

Cinder nods. "But I was young so at least I don't remember it or understood it at the time it was happening. I think I was a year old when I moved in with Levana and Winter."

"True." Scarlet sighs. "I guess after all that, I owe you my sob story."

Cinder opens her mouth to object but Scarlet already starts talking.

"I used to live in the European Federation," Scarlet starts, "Paris, France to be exact. My parents often argued until one day when my mom just left. She never returned to get me or even spared a goodbye. It was just me and my alcoholic bastard of a father. I couldn't stand him so I flew across an ocean all by herself when I was only seven-years-old with the little money and courage I had to live here in Commonwealth with my grandmère on her farm."

Cinder is in complete shock. She never expected Scarlet to have had a life like that. She kind of feels bad for only giving her the tip of the iceberg of her own backstory when Scarlet's seemed more in depth. Still, Scarlet didn't ask for more information so she didn't see a reason to give any thing more than she already has.

"Aces, that's really a lot to have to go through," Cinder comes to say, mimicking what Scarlet said earlier.

Scarlet nods, smiling a little.

"You're right, Scarlet," Cinder says. "We will really be good friends after all."

-o-

Later in the day, Winter sits on a cold leather couch in an office. She looks around and sees the polished room decorated with framed graduation diplomas and fake potted plants. Everything seems old in here, just like the man sitting behind the desk. He's currently sitting behind a desk, writing down some notes for her mental evaluation. Winter's eyes stay focused on the back of a frame that's been sitting on the desk. After being curious about it for too long, Winter gets up and peers her head over to see what the picture is of.

It's a teenage girl with long honey-blonde hair. Her face is shaped like a heart that is complimented with a sprinkle of freckles across her nose and the apples of her cheeks. Winter doesn't want to assume anything but Dr. Darnel looks old enough to be her grandfather.

"Dr. Darnel," Winter says, "may I ask who this is?"

Dr. Darnel smiles a little as he looks at the picture. "That is my daughter Crescent - or Cress, for short."

"She is beautiful."

"Thank you." He beams like a proud father which makes Winter feel happy on the inside. "She looks like her mother." His tone suddenly down before she shakes it off. "The next time you go to school, find Cress. You might have some classes together."

Winter nods excitedly. "I will."

"That's great. Now, take a seat so we can finish this all off."

Winter nods again, heading back to sit on her leather seat. Dr. Darnel looks up from his notes and adjusts his glasses. He gets a fresh sheet of paper and flattens it before grabbing a pen. He looks at Winter with the most comforting smile a doctor could give in an intimidating and nerve-wracking situation.

"So, Winter," he starts, "why don't you tell me what happened in Artemisia?"

Winter's spirits drop as she slowly nods her head.

-o-

Hours later, Levana opens the front door of their home. She enters and Winter follows, happy to be home after this long day for her. She turns to face Levana and can see her tired eyes from underneath her sunglasses. Winter has no idea why she's tired since she didn't almost get eaten alive by some wolves.

"I'm going to take a nap," Winter says.

Levana nods, probably not even hearing what Winter said. Winter just starts running up the stairs. Once Winter is gone, Levana silently curses to herself since Dr. Darnel wouldn't prescribe Winter on anything, just like all the _experts_ in Artemisia said. She thinks of going to a better specialist but Dr. Darnel was already claimed as Commonwealth's best combined neurologist and psychiatrist. Going to a separate neurologist and psychatrist just seemed like a waste of time for both herself and Winter. As she takes out her phone to make a call, Cinder comes down the stairs.

"You had nothing to do with Winter at school, right?" Levana asks her.

Cinder shakes her head. "You saw me leave the house, Levana. I didn't even know it happened until I heard rumors."

Levana nods, starting to dial a phone number. Cinder finds herself leaning against the stairwell's railing since she has a hunch that their conversation isn't done yet.

"I had to cancel my meeting because of Winter's incident," Levana explains, now holding the phone to her ear. "I'm rescheduling it to this evening. It'll be here."

"I'll be glad to get out of your hair," Cinder says, heading back upstairs.

Levana watches her niece go up, bitterly thinking about how much that girl reminds her of her late sister. If anything, Levana wished that Cinder took after the unknown father just so she wouldn't have to deal with a mini Channary. With that in mind, if Cinder hadn't have already gone upstairs, she would've given her permission to go out.

* * *

 **Oh look, Cress got mentioned. She will physically be in the story in the next arc and she plays a vital role in it.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Cinder's going to be escaping again, but her companion for the night won't be Thorne...**


	8. Winter's Melting: Part Eight

**Kaider shippers, get excited!**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Eight

Cinder lies flat on her bed with her eyes closed but her mind wide open. Through the vents, she can hear Levana's meeting with some of the town's officials. Cinder can't exactly hear what they're saying but she also doesn't care. She rolls onto her side and sees her bedroom window and its many possibilities that lie just past those curtains.

Cinder stands up opens her curtains and her window. She climbs out and is more successful when it comes to shimmying across and down the tree. Once Cinder's feet hit the ground, she thinks of calling Thorne to see if he would join her but realizes that she left her phone in her room. Cinder groans with a small curse since she isn't up for climbing back up into her room to get it. She plans to roam around the city on her own, maybe stop at The Rampion to see if Scarlet and Thorne are there, she'll see.

Cinder walks along the side of her house and once she reaches the main sidewalk, she sees a boy standing in her driveway, looking at her. Cinder pauses, not recognizing who that is in the dark or why he's there. She takes a few steps closer and the boy shifts into a streetlight. Cinder pauses, immediately knowing who it is.

"Mayor's son?" Cinder questions even though she knows it's him and she knows his name.

"Mechanic?" Kai responds in the same way.

"What are you doing here?" They both ask each other at the same time.

Kai clears his throat. "My dad is meeting with Ms. Blackburn and I just stepped out for some air."

Cinder nods slowly. "I live here."

That surprises Kai at first. "Live in or breaking out of?"

Cinder laughs a little. "Both, but all jokes aside, Levana is my aunt."

Cinder takes in Kai's shock as a compliment. For some reason, people tend to be more surprised by the fact that Levana is her aunt than Levana being Winter's stepmother. Maybe it was the wicked taboo that came with stepmothers that exist in the fairytales. Cinder could believe that since Levana was everything that came with being wicked.

The two of them stand there awkwardly, shuffling their feet with their hands in their pockets and eyes looking at the ground.

"Hey, do you want to hang out somewhere?" Cinder asks him.

Kai nods eagerly. "I think I know a place you'd like."

-o-

At The Rampion, Scarlet refills the straw dispenser as her kind-of-least-favorite customer walks in and takes a seat on the other side of the counter. He gives her his charming grin as she makes him a milkshake probably for some sexual innuendo. Scarlet didn't bother to comment on his charm even though he knows that she doesn't care much for it. He begins sipping his milkshake and raises an eyebrow at Scarlet.

"What?" Scarlet asks, knowing that Thorne wants to say something.

"I'm proud of you for valiantly saving Winter," Thorne compliments.

"Oh, please," Scarlet says modestly, "you would've probably done the same thing if you were there."

Thorne nods. Scarlet eyes him as she leans on their shared counter space because she knows _exactly_ why Thorne wasn't there. Her eyes meet Thorne's and he could tell that she was about to ask him a serious question.

"Is The Wolf Pack still hunting your dear ass down?" Scarlet asks him.

"Nah," Thorne responds with a fake confidence, "they're on hibernation."

"Really? I think they're just lurking in the shadows ready to bite your face off. Are you scared of them?"

Thorne scoffs with a small grin as he stirs his milkshake with his straw. "Are you afraid of the big bad Wolf?"

Scarlet smirks before shaking her head, not even needing to think of her answer. "Wolf is nothing more than an overgrown puppy."

-o-

Winter hums to herself as she finally comes around to unpacking her boxes from the move. She puts books on her shelf, organizing them by color for that aesthetic look. She picks up a photo album and opens the front cover, beginning to leaf through the photos of her and Cinder's final days in Artemisia. All the candids, all the selfies, and all the friends left behind.

 _"Ew! I look so bad in that one!"_

 _"Shut up! You always look good in them! Geez, Winter, tell me your selfie-taking secrets."_

 _"I have no secrets. What filter is that?"_

 _"I didn't even use a filter!"_

So many good memories now separated by an ocean between the two countries.

Winter looks at a particular photo and finds herself staring at it for way too long. It has her laughing with a wide smile and squinted eyes. One of her arms is wrapped around the broad shoulders of a blond boy whose face is hidden in her wild curls as he kisses her cheek. Winter's focus is primarily on her face. Her joyous, non-punctured face.

 _"I love you, Winter, don't forget that I'll always be the complimenting guard to your princess."_ His voice echoes in her head. She isn't sure if it hurts her or brings her a bittersweet joy. Could it be both?

Winter looks over at her bed and sees a box cutter that she used to unpack. She grips it tightly, hovering it over her smooth cheek in the photo. Once the scars appeared on her face, her album stopped filling up with photos. Her mind fills up flashbacks about how it all happened in Artemisia and she drops the knife.

-o-

Kai leads Cinder to the city's junkyard. He himself is disgusted with this site but seeing Cinder's entire face open in raw admiration for this place changes his opinion on it. He may see useless automotive parts but she sees parts with potential. Cinder takes a few steps into the soft dirt as she admires the sights around her, spinning on her toes to make sure she gets a look at everything as Kai trails her behind, making sure not to trip on anything.

"This is beautiful," Cinder says with every breath in her. "Kai, this is just amazing."

"I'm not surprised you say so," Kai responds. "I figured that since you like fixing cars and did a wonderful job on Nainsi, I should show you this place."

Cinder raises an eyebrow. "I like the name Nainsi for your car. It suits her. She looks like a Nainsi."

Kai laughs casually, Cinder joins in a little. He takes a step closer and takes a piece of her bangs between his thumb and pointer finger. He wasn't doing that to be romantic or anything, he found a stray bolt in her hair not knowing how it got there and didn't think asking would answer that question. Still, Cinder didn't stop him.

"I saw Winter the night of the party," Kai states.

"Right," Cinder says, taking a step back. She knows where this conversation is going and shrugs. "She's basically my sister and yet I feel like I don't know her. She feels like this completely different person now, someone damaged. You see, when a car is damaged, you'd just change the oil or replace the battery or just fix whatever is the problem with a couple of tools. You can't do that with people since they're not repairable machines. I just hate seeing people so broken when there's nothing I can do to fix it."

Kai looks at her differently than when he saw her as the mechanic or when he found a bolt in her hair. Her love and passion don't only apply to items because she tries to put those same morals into people. His eyes and face are softer, sympathizing with her. Cinder looks deep into his copper eyes, their lips suddenly mere inches apart from each other. Kai closes his eyes, about to pull her in. Then, an idea pops into Cinder's mind and she mutters something inaudible.

Kai's eyes open and he notices Cinder's mind completely somewhere else.

"What is it?" Kai asks.

"Jacin!" Cinder exclaims.

"Who?"

"I have to get Jacin!"

Kai is confused as to what just happened but as he sees Cinder running off, he follows. Along the way, Kai stumbles over something. He looks back and sees that it's Cinder's shoe. Kai picks it up and calls out to Cinder to get her shoe back on, but her mind has something much more important to do than put on a shoe.

* * *

 **Way to be a cockblock, Jacin, way to go!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What will happen when Cinder gets home? What does Jacin have to do with this?**


	9. Winter's Melting: Part Nine

**Last night, I stayed up till about 1 AM continuously planning this story. Like I am so far ahead. This is the first story arc and I'm on the sixth one.**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Nine

At the Blackburn mansion, Levana wishes her work guests a farewell as they conclude their meeting. Levana goes to open the front door for them and as she does, Cinder runs through. Levana gasps in shock, not even aware that Cinder left the house or concerned that she's being chased by a possible predator.

"Cinder!" Levana calls, but her niece is already running up the stairs.

Levana goes to close the door but Kai pops in, also surprising Levana and his father. Kai shuffles in, squeezing through the slightly opened door. He faces all the adults and gives his best smile while panting and slightly sweating.

"Man, Cinder sure runs fast," Kai says, trying to lighten the mood.

None of the adults say anything even though Kai wanted at least one of them to comment to make this all feel less awkward. Maybe it was the fact that he was holding one of Cinder's sneakers that left them speechless.

"I should probably give this back to her," Kai says, waving the shoe and heading up the stairwell.

-o-

Cinder runs into her room and swan dives onto her bed. Actually it was more of a belly-flop once she hit the mattress. She throws her pillows on the floor to pick up her phone which she originally left underneath. She quickly dials a number she had no idea was memorized and doesn't care about the three-hour time difference between who she's calling and how much she'll be charged for the long distance. Cinder pushes her bangs from her face once she hears the dial tone silence.

 _Secretary: Andromeda Academy, how may I be of service?_

Cinder quickly clears her throat to sound confident and unquestionable. "I need to speak to Cadet Jacin Clay."

Silence. As Cinder waits, she finds herself chewing on her her thumbnail.

 _Secretary: I am sorry to inform you that Cadet Clay is unavailable._

"What do you mean he's unavailable?" Cinder questions, sounding more harsh than intended.

 _Secretary: That means he is unable to answer you call._

"I got that but it's an emergency!"

 _Secretary: So is his reason for not being available._

Cinder hangs up the phone without saying thanks or a goodbye. Any argument she could've made from that point on would've just resulted in a response with the word _'unavailable'_ in it. Stars, she hates that word now more than ever. Cinder screams a little into her mattress in frustration as Kai awkwardly knocks on her already-opened door before slowly inviting himself in. He puts her missing shoe on the floor as Cinder raises her head and looks at him, wondering how much of that she heard from the phone call to her mini outburst.

Then it hits her that she totally ditched him in the junkyard without reason and owes him an explanation for just running.

"Jacin is Winter's boyfriend from back home," Cinder explains to Kai, hoping that will do. "He's a cadet in a military school and to get in contact with them, you have to call the school and ask for them since cell phones are prohibited. It's a tedious process, especially when they're not there which just happened. Back in Artemisia, Jacin always helped Winter when she became like this since no therapist or meds could. I don't know how it works but it just does."

Kai nods, rubbing Cinder's arm. Cinder puts a hand on top of his, appreciating him for all this unasked support. She gave him more of an explanation than he expected and didn't know what to say which was good because sometimes it was better to just not say anything. Needless to say, asking about what happened in Artemisia was a topic not to be discussed, at least not right now.

"You were trying to call Jacin?"

Cinder and Kai turn to her bedroom door and see Winter standing there, her face completely down as if it wants to cry but there are just no tears left. Winter's voice cracked by the second syllable of his name which only made Cinder feel more guilty for her failure for not being able to speak to him. Kai thinks that he should leave the room to give the girls some privacy but Cinder's grip on his hand tightens a little, as if it was telling him to stay.

"Why would you call Jacin?" Winter asks, basically repeating her first question.

Cinder takes a breath. "I finally thought of a way to make you happy here. I was running home from the junkyard with Kai and it all made sense in my head. I would've paid for Jacin's flight here and hotel room with the money my mom left me if Levana wouldn't let him stay here with us, but he wasn't able to pick up for some reason."

Winter shrugs. "Andromeda Academy is strict."

Cinder changes the topic. "Winter, be honest with me, are you okay?"

Winter thinks back to when Levana got mad at her for going to school when she was ordered to do other tasks that required her to stay home. She told Levana that she couldn't stand it here or in Artemisia because like in both places, there was and is nothing she could do which further led to her not being okay and eventually deemed by most as crazy.

"I know I'm not crazy," Winter says, looking Cinder right in the eye. "Not really, at least. Dr. Darnel said that I was traumatized and confused. I was hurt in both my body and my soul by what happened in Artemisia and I'll be better someday. I believed him because that's what every doctor back home said, just with different words to make it sound like a different diagnosis. I'm supposed to say yes and pretend that I'm completely fine but I'm not and everyone knows that. I want to be though and I thought that moving here might help but it's not exactly working so far. I'm trying to be happy on my own. Cinder, this isn't your fault."

"I know," Cinder replies, "It's just felt like I've been watching and not supporting you. I want to help because we're cousins, we're family - we're basically sisters."

Winter feels herself soften up as she sits on the bed next to Kai, the corners of her mouth lifting a little in a smile.

"You called me your cousin, your sister and not _step_ -cousin," Winter points out. "That's help on its own."

Cinder realizes that she's been telling people that Winter's her step-cousin when in reality, it didn't matter whether or not they were cousins strictly by blood. And in that same sentence, Cinder called Winter her sister. With that, Cinder sits back up and throws the upper half of her body on top of Kai to hug Winter. Winter hugs back tightly. While that happens, Kai finds himself to be the meat of a Blackburn sandwich. Kai doesn't want to interrupt their embrace but he couldn't breathe.

Kai coughs a little to get their attentions. "I'd hate to ruin the moment but I'm being squished."

The two girls laugh a little. Instead of getting off of him, they include him in the hug but extending their arms around his back and softening their wrap.

"Kai," Cinder says, "I'm not sure if you two have formally met but this is my cousin Winter. Winter, Kai."

"We've met for about a brief second before," Kai says, remembering the bewildered girl at the party who kept on making a scene whenever she reached the bottom of the staircase.

"A horrible first meeting if you ask me," Winter mutters, embarrassed by how she acted that night.

Kai smiles in a friendly manner, holding out a hand for Winter once he managed to get it out of the Blackburn sandwich.

"I'm Kai," he introduces.

Winter daintily shakes his hand. "Winter Hayle-Blackburn."

"Well, Winter Hayle-Blackburn and Cinder Blackburn, I welcome you both to my town of Commonwealth."

* * *

 ***cries because it's cute***

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Will Winter finally turn to spring? Where is Jacin?**


	10. Winter's Melting: Part Ten

**I had a dream with Cress in it once...it was nice.**

* * *

Winter's Melting: Part Ten

This is the first time Winter is in her backyard meadow that just starts the border of the forest. She crouches down with her floral skirt billowing out at her feet as she picks a multitude of colorful flowers for the many vases she will set up inside in every room - except Cinder's since she doesn't want anything floral in there. Winter hums to herself, keeping rhythm with the light breeze.

Looking ahead of her, she sees a shadow coming from someone approaching her. Thinking it's only Cinder or Levana, she continues humming and picking flowers. Then she notices that the shadow stops and it belongs to someone who is bigger than Cinder and Levana. Winter feels her body shiver and tense up so she stops humming and pulls her hand back from the flower she wants to pick.

Winter turns around to see who's there but the sun hits her eyes and she screams. Taken by surprise, the other person screams too as he falls to the ground. When he attempts to sit up, Winter takes another look at who it is, this time blocking the sun from her eyes with the bouquet of flowers she picked. She calms down once she sees her blond boy in his cadet uniform.

"Jacin?" Winter questions. She knows that it's him but she just needs to make sure that it's _really_ him.

"Hey, Trouble," Jacin greets with a smug smile coming from the corner of his mouth.

Winter screams for joy as she throws her flowers in the air and lunges over to him on the ground. She forces him to stay down on the ground. Winter takes his face in her hands and starts kissing him all over his face at it starts to rain flowers all around them. Jacin doesn't mind the kisses because it's the flowers that bother him. Winter hugs him fiercely, crushing Jacin's face against her chest.

"Winter," Jacin pants, "can't breathe."

Winter couldn't hear him and doesn't seem to care. She is so happy that she rocks back and forth with her boyfriend in her arms. And suddenly, he doesn't seem to care either.

-o-

Cinder walks down the stairs with her damp hair from the shower tied up in a ponytail. It drips on the back of her shirt but she finds it cooling. She sees Levana looking out the window that shows the vast backyard. Cinder finds it strange that Levana would be looking out the window, but when she notices the glass of wine in her hands she realizes that Levana intoxicated while looking at nature makes more sense. Cinder approaches Levana to see what she's looking at and they both look out at Winter and Jacin lying far out in the flowerbeds together. Cinder is surprised to see Jacin there since she couldn't get in touch with him herself, but seeing Levana standing beside her, she realizes how it makes sense.

"You called Jacin?" Cinder asks in shock. "I can't believe that you of all people beat me to it."

Levana snickers, unintentionally sounding cynical but that's just how she naturally is. "You're surprised? Jacin is the only one able to control Winter's outbursts and cries of blood."

"Well, yeah!" Cinder exclaims since the obvious wasn't exactly seen by Levana. "I didn't think you cared about me or Winter."

Levana sighs. "She is my stepdaughter and you are my niece. I'm supposed to take care of you even if I wasn't forced to which I felt as if I was since Evret and Channary's last words were to take care of the both of you. Then again, a part of me felt as if I needed to out of the slim goodness in my heart. If I never cared or even had a conscious, I would've abandoned you both after your parents died."

Levana casually sips her wine.

Cinder is speechless, absolutely left without words for a moment. "I thought you were keeping us to maintain your perfect and polished politician status."

"That too, but I was a counsellor to the former president of Luna and now I'm on Mayor Rikan's council. I am a perfect and polished politician all on my own. This _maternal look_ just expands my greatness."

Cinder can't argue with that. "Thank you, Levana."

Levana looks at Cinder with the corner of her eye before fully turning to face her. Her eyes soften a little and maybe the corner of her mouth twitched, which is the closest Cinder will get to ever seeing Levana genuinely smile at her.

-o-

Winter and Jacin continue lying in the meadow, talking about the good days in Artemisia and what happened rather than the catastrophe that led up to Commonwealth. She plays with the buttons on his fancy and professional uniform as he keeps his head rested on her curls which he calls the best pillow ever.

"How do we keep in touch now?" Jacin asks. "The Academy is as strict as it is with curfew, use of personal cellular devices, and now we have a three hour time difference to factor in."

"We can write letters," Winter suggests.

Jacin groans. "I hate writing letters so much but you're my exception."

"You better send me some pictures."

"I will most certainly not."

Winter starts to laugh. "Send me some selfies for my photo album."

"Nope." Jacin turns onto his side to look at her. "If you happen to get one, it fell in the envelope by accident."

Winter smiles. "Sure it did." Then her smile fades a little. "When do you go?"

"My flight is in a few hours. I wasn't supposed to come because of school but Levana can be persuasive when she wants to be and without even batting a lash."

Winter gasps. "Levana called you?"

"She called my dad, but yeah she called." Jacin notices Winter's stunned expression which makes him on the verge of laughing. "I know, I'm shocked too."

Winter laughs sweetly. "I'll talk to her later. Have Cinder of Levana give you the address because I still don't know it."

"I will. I'll start my first letter on the plane ride back since they never offer good movies or snacks."

Winter looks into her eyes and smirks as she puts some flowers in his hair. Despite how much he hates flowers in his hair, Jacin has given up on shaking them off since Winter is in an endless meadow of flowers.

He kisses her cheek. "Nothing will ever come between us, Winter. You are the most precious thing in my life."

-o-

"You called Jacin?" Winter asks Levana later in the day.

The sun has set and Winter just returned from the airport after dropping off Jacin to catch his flight back to Luna. Levana stands in her office, looking over some paperwork, not expecting Winter to show up.

"Isn't that the question of the day," Levana states, filing away her work. "Don't tell me that you're surprised as well?"

"Of course I am," Winter responds. "And you actually took it out of your will to convince his dad to let him come."

Levana scoffs. "You make it sound as if it was a difficult chore to get Jacin. His father might be a stubborn old general but I have my own glamorous tricks, as do you."

Levana tilts Winter's face up so that she's looking at her. She traces the scars of Winter's face carefully. Winter's spine shivers a little as Levana examines her face. Levana lets go of Winter's face and lets her be.

"Thank you, Levana," Winter says.

"Anytime, dear stepdaughter," Levana responds. "You know what to do about your problems now, don't you?"

"Not talk to you about them?"

"Precisely."

Winter grins before leaving Levana in her office. If there's anything Winter knows about her stepmother it's that she always knows how to solve problems even if she claims that she doesn't succumb to emotions.

* * *

 **Well, that ends the first story arc. Which character do you think will be the title for the next arc?**


	11. The Big Bad Wolf: Part One

**I was going to update this at the end of the week but I was too excited and already updated my other two stories so I figured that I might as well do this one as well.**

 **Don't you worry, everyone, Cresswell is coming. (It's in this chapter).**

 **Welcome to the second arc, everybody!**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part One

"Thorne!"

That howl echoes in his ears, louder than his currently pounding heart. Thorne's legs move the fastest they have ever run in years. Well, he owes it all to having a purpose to run: he's currently being chased by Wolf. Thorne looks over his shoulder for a quick second to see how much of a distance he has from his current enemy. Wolf just glided over the fence that took Thorne five minutes to climb.

"Spades!" Thorne curses, continuing to run.

If his calculations are right, which they never are so he turns to his luck - if his _impeccable_ luck is on his side then he should manage to outrun the big bad Wolf...or at least outsmart him.

-o-

"No, no, no!" Cress Darnel exclaims, slamming on her keyboard as her computer game shows the words _'game over'_ in big and bold letters.

Before hitting the restart button, Cress stretches her arms up, cracking her knuckles, elbows, and spine. If she wasn't wearing her headphones with loud music blasting in it, she would've winced at hearing the sound of her body cracking. Cress gets up, removes her headphones, and does some quick stretches and squats for her lower body. She takes a quick glance at the time and didn't realize how late in the afternoon it was.

If there's anything Cress has learned about sitting in front of a computer for endless hours on end playing games, it's that your body gets super stiff and you lose track of time easily.

Then Cress hears the loud banging on her door and jumps. The pounding on the door is constant and Cress is home alone, unsure of what to do. She immediately tiptoes out of her room, down the hallway, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. For a moment, she thinks the knocking stops but when it starts again, she screams a little in addition to the jump. Cress' heart is racing as she covers her mouth, her arms shaking as sweat starts to form on her forehead.

"Please, open up!" The person knocking exclaims, a hint of desperation in his voice.

Cress grabs a frying pan from the cupboards and heads towards the front door where the pounding continues relentlessly. She takes a quick breath to calm her nerves, hoping that her inner badass ninja comes out to swiftly take care of this. In a second, Cress opens the door as she holds the frying pan high above her head. The person knocking swings the door open, causing Cress to fall back onto the staircase and drop the frying pan. The person quickly closes the door and locks it, closing the drapes of the neighboring windows. He takes a breath of relief as he turns around to face Cress.

"Thanks," he says.

Cress is speechless. Cress is in too much shock to say anything back. Cress' heart is racing for a whole new reason now.

The boy standing in her house right now is none other than her crush since pretty much forever: Carswell Thorne. The most dashing and suave boy she has ever seen is in her house right now.

"Hello, Cress," Thorne greets, barely peeking out the windows.

Her lungs suddenly have no air after learning that Carswell Thorne knows her name. As much as she wants to live in this fantasy, she does have one predominant question in her mind.

"So, what brought you here?" Cress asks, picking up the frying pan but not to hit him over the head. "Fate? Destiny?"

Thorne snorts a small laugh. "A wolf."

Cress tilts her head a little in confusion. Thorne looks back at her, knowing that he needs to provide some sort of explanation for her. To her surprise, though, Thorne never questioned the frying pan.

"Wolf, from school, was chasing me," Thorne says. "We're playing hide-and-seek."

Even Cress doesn't believe that. Cress barely knows Wolf but based on what she does know about him from school and rumors, she knows that he isn't the kind to play that game in his childhood, let alone play it now with Thorne.

"I will get you, Thorne!" Wolf howls from outside.

Thorne immediately grabs Cress' frying pan and holds it up just in case.

-o-

Wolf enters The Rampion, thinking that he might have run here but sees that Thorne is nowhere to be found. Now he feels defeated from being unable to catch Thorne. He feels as though he's off of his game since Thorne got away. And when entering the diner, he realizes why. Behind the counter, wearing the stupid astronaut suit as her uniform is Scarlet. He's known Scarlet since she first came to Commonwealth when she was seven and he's always known that she's worked at The Rampion, but something felt different about seeing her this time. In fact, ever since he saw her help the girl with scars on his face, he always finds himself drifting back to that moment whenever he can.

Wolf sits at the counter where Scarlet is and she immediately notices him.

"You look so gloomy," Scarlet states. Her voice naturally has this mocking tone to it even if she didn't mean it.

"No shit," Wolf replies. Unlike her voice, his own voice naturally sounds harsh.

"What happened? The Big Bad Wolf couldn't catch Little Red?"

Scarlet's smirking. That time she was mocking him.

Wolf shoots her a cold glare. "Do you actually care about my problems?"

"No, but sometimes venting your problems fills up my tip jar."

Scarlet jingles the small jar filled with a few coins. Wolf scowls at her but secretly respects her honesty and willing to help - _like how she helped that new girl with the scars on her face from his pack_. And there goes another reminder of that event.

"I don't want to burden you with my problems," Wolf tells her.

"How considerate of you," Scarlet says. "My tip jar could use a little burdening though."

She jingles the jar again as she turns around and picks up some plates of food to deliver to other customers. Wolf shifts his position on his bar stool and eyes that tip jar before pulling out his wallet and dropping a bill in there with the other coins. He forces himself not to look at Scarlet again as he walks out of the diner.

-o-

Cress tries her hardest to contain her excitement at the fact that the boy of her dreams is in her house, holding her frying pan, and now sitting on her couch. She doesn't care if it was Wolf that chased him here but she believes that it was all fate. Out of all the places to run and houses to demand help from, it ended up being her house.

Cress looks out the front window of her house, looking for Wolf on behalf of Thorne who nervously taps his fingers across the frying pan.

"I don't think Wolf is around anymore," Cress says, keeping all the curtains closed anyways.

"Wolf is never _'not around'_ ," Thorne tells her. "We've both lived in Commonwealth long enough to know that he's just lurking somewhere ready to pounce on me and eat me alive."

Cress agrees. Even though she's only lived in Commonwealth for about four years, she knows about Wolf - well, just what she's heard about him and his Wolf Pack since she doesn't have the courage to interact with them - and if he doesn't catch his prey, he will not stop until he does.

"What are you going to do about it?" Cress asks.

Thorne shrugs. "I have no idea. He could be just outside my house or down the street and my parents don't really care about me so I don't have to go home. With that and my fear of The Big Bad Wolf, can I stay here for the night?"

Cress instantly freezes as those last seven words echo in her head. Carswell Thorne wants to spend the night at her house. First, he comes knocking on her door and now wants to spend the night at her house. These past thirty minutes have been the best thirty minutes of her entire life, mostly because she's been behind a screen for the majority of it all.

"Um, Cress?"

She instantly snaps out of the little fantasy she was enjoying and enters the reality she currently loves. This is all just too much for her to contain at the moment.

"I could stay here, right?" Thorne questions since she hasn't answered three of his questions. Make it four. "Your parents won't mind at all?"

"Dad's out of town," Cress replies as casual as she can but she still sounds awkwardly nervous. "He'll be back by the end of the week."

"Great."

Cress can't help but to admire how much fate is really in her favor. She even sees Thorne smiling with his ever-so-charming smile, but she knows that it's because he claimed a hiding spot for the night and not because of the one-sided romance she feels in her heart.

"So," Thorne says, finally putting down the frying pan he's been holding onto this whole time. "The day is still very young and since we can't leave due to a certain predator, what is there to do at the Darnel House?"

Cress hesitates since she isn't prepared to entertain guests at all. "I have some computer or video games if you're into that kind of stuff."

"Of course I'm into that stuff," Thorne replies excitedly. "I didn't think you were into that kind of stuff."

Cress can't help but to cross her arms. "I'll have you know that my closet gamer name is LittleCress."

Thorne laughs a little. It's a laugh that comes genuinely from the heart and isn't forced in any way. Cress can't help but grin a little at how cute his laugh is despite her wanting to be a little bit offended.

"Your username fits you well," Thorne comments, patting her on the top of her head. It emphasizes her petite frame in comparison to his since he's almost a full head taller than her. "Mine's CaptainThorne."

"Does it fit you?" She questions.

"Pull out a spaceship game and I'll show you."

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Will Wolf still be chasing Thorne or does he have someone else in mind? And is Cress really home alone for the week?**


	12. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Two

**My initial plan was to have the second arc done by the time my school starts and that's in about two weeks and I still have nine more chapters.**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Two

That night with Thorne was wonderful, just wonderful. They sat in Cress' room and just played endless rounds of video games with one another while eating whatever food Cress could find in her house and a pizza that Thorne ordered, until it was past midnight and they remembered that there was school the next day. Then, Thorne retired to the guest room as Cress stayed in her own bedroom.

It was all a dream come true for Cress. She pinched herself so many times to make sure it was all real which it happily was. Carswell Thorne spent the night at her house. Carswell Thorne slept in her guest room. Carswell Thorne is still in her house.

 _Carswell. Thorne._

Cress wakes up the next morning with a smile on her face as she hears soft knocking on her door. She didn't sleep right away because even after Thorne went into the guest room, she was just too excited. If she had to guess, she would say that she slept about two hours ago and her and Thorne shared their goodnights about five hours ago.

"Come in," Cress says to whoever is knocking. She assumes that it's Thorne so she immediately sits up and tries to make herself look presentable in her semi-decent pjs by brushing down her long bedhead hairdo.

To her surprise, Cress sees her dad open the door. Last that she checked, her dad was away on business and is supposed to come back in a few more days. Her heart is racing for two reasons: her dad might have caught Thorne sleeping in the guest room or worse, Thorne being here to begin with was actually all just a dream.

"Good morning, Crescent," her dad says to her.

"Hi, Dad," Cress replies, trying her absolute best not to sound nervous. She starts playing with her hair in hopes that her dad (being a psychologist) doesn't notice anything strange. "You're home early."

"Convention ended early," he replies. Cress nods. "I'll have breakfast ready in a few."

Cress nods as her dad closes the door again. She holds her breath and makes her hands into fists as she listens to her dad's footsteps trek across the hallways. Her hands are in fists so tight that her knuckles turn white and her nails make crescent moon shaped indents in her palm. The moment she hears her dad going down the stairs, Cress knows that he didn't look in the guest room since that's located the other way from her room. Besides, on a normal day, there is no reason to check that room.

Cress has to get Thorne out of her house, which her heart dreads. She throws her bedsheets off and the moment her feet hit the floor, she hears a muffled groan of pain. Cress immediately jumps back on her bed and looks over to see Thorne sleeping on her bedroom floor, away from the door. She feels her cheeks turning red from the embarrassment of stepping right on Thorne's abs (which definitely exist) or from the fact that Thorne was asleep on her bedroom floor right next to her bed for who knows how long.

"I should've seen that coming," Thorne mutters as he rubs the pain away from his chest while rolling on the floor.

"I am so sorry," Cress whispers so her father won't hear. "I didn't think my dad would come home early."

"Don't stress about it." Thorne sits up against her bedroom wall. "I heard your dad come in about an hour ago so I ran in here to hide. Come to think of it, it would've been even worse if he were to find me here."

Cress smiles. "Well, you're always welcomed to hide here - hopefully, it's often."

Cress' eyes open wide in mortification at what she just said. She blames her lack of sleep and her uncontrollable feelings towards him for the sudden bluntness. A part of her wishes that Thorne didn't hear that last part, but that stupid het irresistible grin on his faces says different.

"Knowing my luck, it will be," he replies.

Thorne gets up and approaches Cress' window. He opens the blinds and they both wince at the harsh sunlight. Thorne opens the window and hops on the ledge. He turns around to face Cress again.

"I owe you one," Thorne tells her before climbing out the window.

Cress gets up and runs up to her window. She rests her head on her elbow-prepped arm and sighs happily at watching Thorne - or should she say _Captain_ Thorne (which was an ill-fitting name since he was purposely awful at commanding his space ship in the games) - run off into the sunrise.

-o-

That same school morning at The Rampion, Scarlet wipes down a counter with a wet rag. She has ditched the astronaut suit for the diner's new uniform - a knee-high retro dress that comes in any and every neon color with an apron on the front of the skirt, cap sleeves, a planet patch on the corner of her chest, and high-tops. If the skirt wasn't so short and bright, Scarlet would've not hated the new uniform as much since it only seems to attract more of the male demographic of Commonwealth.

Speaking of the male demographic, one enters the diner. Scarlet looks up from her clean counter and sees Wolf walk in, wearing his school uniform. He takes a seat on the bar stool that's specifically set in front of Scarlet. She's confused since this is her second encounter with Wolf in this diner in the span of 24 hours (and the change in uniform had nothing to do with it) but his warm and neutral expression gave the vibe that this was a habit of his.

"You're skipping school?" Wolf asks her.

"Yup," Scarlet replies. "I figured that a nice paycheck will do me more wonders than Lunar Academy and their self-proclaimed _'important'_ subjects."

"I couldn't agree more."

Scarlet smiles a little. "Do you want something to eat before you go to that prestigious hell-hole?"

Wolf shrugs. "Just get me anything."

Scarlet walks into the kitchen and scoots past all the cooking chefs to see what she could give Wolf. She sees all the hearty options like pancakes and BELT sandwiches (with extra bacon since he seems like the kind of boy who ask for more) but she shakes her head. She didn't want to give him anything hearty. Instead, she opens the produce fridge and pulls out a plump tomato. When she returns to Wolf, his eyes alternate between the tomato and her own eyes repeatedly.

"A tomato," he states, "for breakfast."

Scarlet nods. "That is a fine tomato from my grandmother's garden. They're ripe and juicy."

Wolf takes a bite from it as if it were an apple and Scarlet can't help but smile.

"Wow," Wolf says, wiping his mouth with the edge of his sleeve. "This is really sweet. Thanks."

Scarlet nods and Wolf takes out his wallet to pay for it.

"Oh no," Scarlet says, "I'm not taking your payment since it's not exactly an item on the menu and your contribution to my tip jar has made my day."

Wolf shrugs, putting his wallet back in his pocket. He gets up from the bar stool and continues to eat the tomato as he walks out. Scarlet watche him leave, until she realizes that she's watching Wolf leave so she goes back to just doing her job. It was Wolf of all people. She shouldn't have anything to do with him and hasn't had anything to do with him...at least until now as it seems.

-o-

Cinder throws all her books into her locker. The sound of heavy hard-cover textbooks is blocked out by the sound of stomping and chattering students walking around the halls behind her. Cinder is grateful for that loud noise because if any professor heard her just throwing her expensive and _'highly informative studying materials'_ , she will get detention.

"How does your locker have so many dents in it already?" Kai asks, looking at all the bumps and grooves decorating the locker's walls. "And it's also unorganized. You've only been here for two weeks."

"I have been decorating it," Cinder replies sarcastically as she tops off her locker by tossing her math textbook in it, sheets of graph paper fly out. "My locker is the living embodiment of a junkyard."

"Speaking of the junkyards..." Kai drifts off.

Cinder closes her locker and leans against it. Kai stays in front of her and she thinks back to when Kai took her to the junkyard when Levana was having a meeting. She instantly remembers how her and Kai were talking. She doesn't remember what they were talking about but she does remember being extremely close to his face before just running away.

"Oh my god..." Cinder mutters. "I am so sorry for just running off after yelling another boy's name. That must've been super weird for you."

"It was," Kai admits, "but after being given some context as to what was happening, I get it. After all that, I think we should do something to make up for it."

"Make up or make out?" Cinder asks, laughing as she gets Kai completely off-guard. "What did you expect? Did you expect angels from heaven above to start singing when our lips touched?"

"I do the next time it will happen," Kai says, catching up to her level.

Cinder raises an eyebrow. "What will make the undecided next time different from the junkyard? Minus me not running away because of Jacin."

"Time passed."

"So?"

"Time has a way of changing people. It makes the heart grow fonder."

Cinder sighs as Kai snickers.

* * *

 **Ahhh...Cresswell, Wolflet, Kaider all in one. Perfect.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Cress will go to school only to find that certain people know information about her that she didn't really know herself.**


	13. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Three

**_Tangled_ is one of my favorite movies of all time so of course Cresswell is precious for me to write.  
**

 **And to the person who said that they liked the way I write Levana in this story, I am so grateful that you said that. Levana is actually and shockingly my favorite character to write in this story.**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Three

Cress walks through the halls of Lunar Academy, still feeling giddy and excited about the night with Thorne. The smile she wore last night was still holding up strong on her face. Speaking of Thorne, she hasn't seen him yet. A part of her believes that Thorne is skipping school to avoid seeing Wolf and what she doesn't want to believe is that Thorne is here and just talking up some of the hot girls.

Nothing will hurt her more than Thorne never looking at her again and acting as if that night never happened.

As she approaches her locker, she sees an all-too familiar sight. It's not Thorne but the other two members of the Wolf Pack standing at her locker casually. Their leader isn't there which makes Cress wonder if Wolf skipped the day to go hunt down Thorne. She hopes that's not the case.

"Excuse me," Cress says politely to the Wolf Pack so she could get to her locker.

The two rough and muscular boys tower over Cress by at least a head and reek of cigarette smoke. They look at her like the small girl she is and don't move. It's not like they don't know that this is Cress' locker because they do and if there was one place to hang out it would be here since her locker is the one that's farthest away from the teacher's lounge and main office. Cress is now shaking at the idea of needing to ask the Wolf Pack if she could get to her locker (it's really something that shouldn't even have to be done).

"Beat it," a stronger voice says from behind her.

Cress turns around and sees their hulking leader standing behind her, smelling of musky cologne instead of smoke. At the sight of the infamous Wolf Kesley, Cress hopes her eyes aren't bulging out of her head. His Pack leaves Cress' locker and Cress stares at Wolf, wondering why he hasn't left with them.

"Thank you," Cress mutters to Wolf, avoiding to meet his eyes as she opens her locker with her head held low.

As Cress rummages through her locker, Wolf's cologne is still present in every breath she takes. She slowly turns over and sees Wolf leaning against the locker next to hers. A part of her wants to ask why he's still here but the other part of her is too scared to.

"Thorne sent me this picture last night," Wolf says.

Wolf turns his phone around and shows Cress a picture. It's a selfie that Thorne took at her house. He's winking from the corner and Cress is in the background playing computer games. She was too engrossed in her game to even notice that the selfie was being taken. Would it be too weird to ask Wolf to send the picture to her so she could use it as her phone's wallpaper?

"Yeah, he came running to my house when you were chasing him," Cress says even though she knows that Wolf already figured that out. "Why'd you ask?"

Cress looks up at Wolf and sees a snarky grin on his face as he gets off the lockers and leaves her without an answer. She is left staring at her opened locker, wondering why Wolf's minions seemed scarier than he did when it's usually the other way around.

-o-

"Cress."

She stops at the sound of her name and sees that the principal called her, Lunar Academy had a surplus of students and if the principal knew your name it meant a few things: you were either really bad, really smart, really rich; or a combination. Lucky for Cress she's really good, really smart in some subjects, and just more than well-off when it came to her family's finances.

"I'd like you, as one of our school's honor students, to give our new student a brief tour," the principal says.

Cress nods even though she dreads this since she finds herself to just be incredibly awkward with people.

"I'm Winter," the new girl introduces, "Winter Hayle-Blackburn."

Cress recognizes Winter, despite never seeing her face in person before. She's heard the rumors that finally dimmed down, the one about the extremely beautiful girl who almost got eaten alive by The Wolf Pack. Right now, she's in the same uniform as every other girl in the school. No makeup covers the three scars underneath her left eye. Her hair is simply brushed, half of it in a bun while the other half is left down. She looks like any other teenage girl but at the same time, she looks like a goddess.

Cress knows she's staring at Winter but who could blame her? No matter what, Winter Hayle-Blackburn is absolutely beautiful.

"You're Dr. Darnel's daughter," Winter states.

Cress didn't realize that she zoned out from just admiring how beautiful Winter is. Then, she processes the weird statement Winter just said and doesn't know how to respond to it.

"What?" Cress asks.

"Darnel," Winter states. "You're Dr. Darnel's daughter, Crescent, aren't you?"

Cress clears her throat awkwardly. "Well, yeah, I am but just call me Cress. How do you know my dad?"

Winter smiles. "He has your picture on his desk."

Considering that her dad is a combined psychiatrist and neurologist, Cress doesn't really ask more on how Winter knows her dad let alone why she knows that her dad has a picture of her on his desk. Instead, she just decides to start the tour. It starts off with finding Winter's locker, then showing all the student resources, hangouts, classrooms, and so on and so forth.

"Look, it's my cousin!" Winter exclaims.

Cress doesn't even have time to look over before she feels Winter grab her wrist and start dragging her. For a moment, it feels as though Winter was giving _her_ the tour instead of the other way around as it should be.

"Hey, Winter, Cress," Cinder says to the both of them when they approach her.

Cress is left silent for a bit as she looks at Cinder. "You know me?"

Cress wonders what it is with the Blackburn girls and knowing who she is without a formal introduction. The only reason she knows Cinder is from their shared geography class (which is also a class with Thorne but that's not so important right now). But she didn't think Cinder noticed her in that class.

"Thorne pointed you out on my first day," Cinder answers. "He said that you were someone who could possibly erase the criminal record I don't have."

Cress is left speechless since she didn't think Thorne knew her before the whole _'spent the night at her house because of Wolf'_ moment; or that she was into computer software. Maybe there was more to her crush that meets the eye...

-o-

After school, Cress starts her walk home. She usually walks to school and back since it's only about a thirty minute walk - forty if she takes her sweet time to look at the neighborhoods or is not in a rush. She's not involved in any school sports so this is how she stays fit inabetseen the video game sessions.

Cress hasn't seen Thorne all day which makes her believe that he definitely did skip to avoid Wolf. She can't help but think that even if Thorne were to show up, Wolf wouldn't have done anything. Wolf seemed a bit off to her. In her eyes, Wolf is just plain frightening but today, she didn't seem as scared as she would've been if that incident happened the day before.

While being lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the car on the side of the road that's been driving at her walking pace for the past two blocks. Cress stops, unsure if she should be running or not from a possible kidnapper, but she sees Thorne in the driver's seat.

"Hey," Thorne greets with his charming grin, "been daydreaming about me?"

"What? No, of course not," Cress replies almost too quickly. Her cheeks are heating up. She quickly clears her throat. "Wolf spoke to me today about the selfie you sent him."

"Oh, that, don't worry about Wolf. Him and his pack won't hurt you because you're you."

Cress tilts her head a little. "What does that mean?"

"You're Cress. You're small and the embodiment of purity. Nobody would dare to hurt you. That's also why Wolf's Pack hangs by your locker. Not only is it the furthest away from anything faculty-related but you're just an innocent shell that nobody wants to break. Not even those thugs would dare to touch you. You're the antithesis of trouble which is why they gather there."

"Wow..." is all Cress could say, "I'm lost for words."

"I have a habit of making girls speechless."

Cress smiles timidly, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

* * *

 **I didn't mean to call Cress a shell but I saw the opportunity to use a stupid pun so I went for it.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- A shortcut through someone's garden will be considered as trespassing.**


	14. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Four

**I'm sorry but I love this chapter and got excited so I had to put it up.**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Four

It's late at night and Scarlet sits on her couch with one light on, studying and doing the homework she missed. Well, she's not really doing the work. It's more like she has a pencil in her hand and her eyes are reading the opened textbook that's on her lap, but she's not really taking note of what she's reading.

Then, she hears a noise coming from outside. It sounded like a twig snap from the backyard. Scarlet shrugs it off, thinking it's just some animal like a raccoon. The same sound comes again and it's accompanied by heavy cursing. Animals don't curse, she knows that.

Scarlet immediately turns off her light and throws her textbook on the floor. She runs on her tiptoes through her dark house and opens the wine cellar that's in the basement. She slides all the bottles to the side and opens a small compartment in the back to pull out a gun.

Scarlet lives with her grandmother but is currently home alone. Her grandmother taught her how to shoot and reload and pistol for self-defense because to quote her, _"people are creepy."_ And to her benefit, any jury would believe a young woman who's home alone and needed a weapon for her own protection.

Scarlet walks through the basement and approaches the door that leads to the backyard. She peeks out the window and sees a man standing in her grandmother's tomato garden. That's when she bursts out with her gun held high.

"Squish one more tomato and I'll shoot!" She screams.

The man turns around to face her. Scarlet looks and sees Wolf tangled in the tomato vines. She walks closer and lowers her gun, wondering what the hell is happening. Wolf sees her and is more surprised to see her than the gun. Scarlet holsters her weapon in the back of her jeans with her red hoodie pulled over the weapon as she approaches the border of the garden.

"Dude," Scarlet says to him, "not cool."

She holds out a hand for him to take. Wolf accepts her gesture and follows her motions with her free hand as to where to step without squishing any tomatoes. Once Wolf is out, he brushes himself off and sees Scarlet frowning at him with crossed arms.

"Is getting tangled in tomatoes a new routine of yours?" Scarlet asks. "A new calf workout? Using vines as resistance?"

"I'm late for work," Wolf replies seriously, not taking her exercise joke. "I thought this would've been a shortcut."

Scarlet scoffs. "You have a job?"

"You have a gun?"

Scarlet shifts her weight from one leg to the other. "Touché."

Silence. Both of them just stand there in the quiet while the night breeze passes over them, blowing both their hairs over their shoulders. Their eyes look to the ground, their shoes, the tomatoes, and eventually into each other's. Scarlet immediately takes a breath.

"Shouldn't you be getting you your _'job'_?" She uses that last word in air quotes.

"Are you doubting my _'job'_?" He asks, mimicking her air quotes.

"It's almost 11 at night. What kind of job do you have?"

"One that I'm going to be late for." He looks at her for a bit longer. "You could come with me if you want."

Scarlet brushes a stray curl behind her ear. She knows it's late and she still has loads homework to do for tomorrow. And there's also the fact that Wolf is a gang leader with a bad reputation who she found tangled in tomato vines and is now asking her to come to his mysterious job.

"Okay," Scarlet says boldly, "just let me put my gun away first."

"Don't," Wolf says. Her hands hover over the weapon hidden on her back. "You'll need that. It'll make you look tough."

Scarlet narrows her eyes at him. Forget all the skeptical thoughts she had earlier about going with him with the addition of him saying to bring her gun. The fact that he said that _the gun_ will make her look tough is ridiculous.

"Come on," Scarlet says boldly, "I'll look tough holding a teddy bear."

-o-

After about a mile of walking, Wolf and Scarlet finally arrive at an abandoned barn just on the outskirts of Commonwealth. He takes her inside, standing in front of her protectively. Scarlet walks on their tiptoes as she looks over his broad shoulders to see the place better. Apparently, the barn has become a bar with a caged wrestling arena set right in the middle.

The people in here are just like Wolf and his Pack - big and muscular and not wanting to be messed with because they will seriously mess you up. All of them eye Scarlet suspiciously and with bad intentions to which Wolf returns with a scowling glare that tells them to back off.

"Are you a bartender?" Scarlet asks him.

"Not exactly," Wolf replies.

"What other - ?"

"Wolf! There you are!" Someone else says. "I was wondering if you were even going to show up."

Wolf puts his hands in the pockets of his tattered jeans. According to the current time, he was forty-five minutes late and this someone - his boss - was not pleased even though the chipper attitude towards Wolf's presence causes them to believe different.

"I got distracted," Wolf tells him.

The boss looks over Wolf's shoulder and his eyes perk up at the sight of Scarlet. He looks back at Wolf for a moment before taking a step closer to Scarlet to see her better. Scarlet tenses up, about to reach for her gun but Wolf puts an arm up to block his boss from getting closer to Scarlet.

"I can see why," the boss says, sparing Scarlet another glance which angers Wolf for reasons he can't explain. "I gave your shift to someone else since I thought you weren't coming but seeing your reason, you can take the next one."

Wolf nods and the boss walks off, looking at Scarlet again. Scarlet gags at all that creepy flirting which makes Wolf smirk from the corner of his mouth.

"Am I expected to stay for your shift?" Scarlet asks him.

"It won't be long," Wolf replies.

Scarlet gives him a look as someone stands in the middle of the wrestling ring. She's a young and toned girl with tattoos everywhere, wearing extremely revealing clothing. She turns on the megaphone in her hands and holds it up to her mouth.

"Alright!" She exclaims. "Now we're going to have our next match between our resident champion, Wolf Kesley, against Brock Harris."

Instead of chanting, everyone in the room raises their glasses or bottles and makes a noise that almost sounds like a howl. Scarlet looks around with wide eyes and as she turns back around, she sees Wolf climbing up to the wrestling ring and standing parallel from Brock.

Scarlet takes a step closer to the chained border fence, looking at Wolf and his opponent. Everyone here is exceptionally built but Brock was like a skyscraper decorated in tattoos. Wolf himself just decides to keep his white t-shirt on. He takes a breath as he wraps gauze around his knuckles and puts a mouth guard in. Wolf ties his hair back and shaking his arms to loosen them up. A part of Scarlet believes that him being a caged fighter makes sense given his reputation but she is still surprised to see all this. She watches him with a fixed gaze, refusing to think of seeing him like this as attractive because it is.

"Fight!"

Wolf makes the first move, checking Brock with a few starter punches. Brock catches Wolf's fist and twists. Wolf screams in a way that sounds like a howl as he twists his own wrist back to its normal position and grits his teeth as he decks Brock across his face. Wolf keeps his head low as he attacks, sending a heavy storm of landed punches. His sneakers scrape against the floor as he jeers from side-to-side. Suddenly, Brock swings out and lands a punch squarely in Wolf's face.

That punch was bone-crushing and solid. Wolf staggers back and smacks against the metal chains. Scarlet looks up at him and sees the sweat and blood dripping from his face, unsure of which accidentally dripped onto her face. As she wipes it away with her sleeve, she looks up at Wolf and sees that he's grinning at her with glowing eyes.

Scarlet's heart unexpectedly stops. She finds him beautiful, in a way, seeing him like this: so powerful and agile and surprisingly quick - especially when he looks like he's losing but knows he's going to win. He is the resident champion for a reason after all.

As Brock approaches Wolf from behind, Wolf turns around and immediately hits Brock with an uppercut. While Brock is winded from the sudden attack, Wolf punches his chest which pounds him to the ground. As Brock lies crumpled on the ground, Wolf looks at him, waiting for him to rise back up and keep fighting as the crowd counts up to ten.

At the ten second mark, Wolf is declared the victor. He spits on Brock before walking right out of the cage. Spectators give him friendly nudges and punches as praise but Wolf walks past them all to go straight to the bar where the bartender already has a few shots of vodka ready for him.

He takes the first shot and receives his pay check for the night. He doesn't spare his boss another look as he places the check in his back pocket. Wolf holds the second shot but stops himself from drinking it for a second.

"Move!" He hears a familiar voice yell.

Scarlet pushes past the half-drunk people and approaches Wolf at the bar. She takes a seat on the bar stool as he remains leaning against it, both of them still at the same height. She drags the third shot across the counter for herself and picks up the small glass. She eyes Wolf as the rim of the glass touches her lips.

"To you," she says, holding the glass up towards him.

"To me," Wolf mutters, holding his glass up.

They clink their glasses together before taking the shot together.

-o-

The walk home for the two of them was silent. They left the barn right after that celebratory shot and haven't said one word to each other. There was just nothing to say that wouldn't end after a simple one-worded response or just drift into awkwardness eventually. It was just a mile of the night sky, a light breeze, shoes shuffling, and the occasional car passing. It wasn't until the returned to Scarlet's backyard that the conversation lasted longer.

"I better be on my way," Wolf says.

"No, you won't," Scarlet responds.

"Excuse me?"

Scarlet points to the side of Wolf's shirt that's stained with blood. She steps over and her hands hover over the spot before she pulls them back to herself. Wolf rolls up his shirt and shows a gashing wound that he probably got from hitting the chained cage and grazing against it. Wolf simply shrugs it off and rolls down his shirt.

"Come inside, I'll get some bandages for you," Scarlet says.

"No, no," Wolf replies. "It's nothing. I've been through worse. This'll heal."

"It will get infected by the time you get home. That's not _nothing_. Get inside my house now."

"Goodnight, Scarlet."

Wolf starts walking away. Scarlet can't let him go. She doesn't care about him nor does she really want to help a guy like him, but she doesn't want him to drop dead in the middle of the road due to an excessive amount of blood loss and get accused of his murder. She knows she has to do something to get him to accept her help.

Scarlet pulls out the gun from underneath her hoodie and cocks it before pointing it at him. Wolf freezes on the spot and turns around to see her with her finger on the trigger ready to shoot.

"House. Now." She orders fiercely.

Now, he has no choice but to accept her help. He only goes with it since Scarlet is the type who would actually shoot.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Dr. Scarlet will be taking care of her patient, Wolf.**


	15. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Five

**My precious Wolflet babies...**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Five

Scarlet leads Wolf through her house and into the kitchen. She orders Wolf to sit on the countertop. Scarlet walks out to grab a few things and Wolf slides some appliances to the side to make room for himself on the countertop. He hops on just as Scarlet returns with more than just a first aid kit. She also has a bottle of vodka and a jug of bleach.

"Take off your shirt," Scarlet tells him as she turns on the sink.

It isn't until she can hear Wolf's snickering over the running water that Scarlet realizes what she just said. She feels her face burning and turning as red as her hair. She cups some of the sink's cold water and quickly splashes it on her face to cool it down and refresh herself. Scarlet rubs her hands on her sweat-shirt before turning off the faucet and pouring some bleach in the sink full of water.

Scarlet turns back around, drying her face with a dishtowel, and sees Wolf shirtless. Her eyes bulge open at the sight. Underneath the blood is solid abs covered in healed scars and some tattoos she couldn't make out from the only light being from the moon outside that's coming in through the kitchen window. However, she just knows deep down inside that those tattoos have a much more significant meaning than just ink on skin.

"Do you like what you see?" Wolf asks her, gesturing to himself.

Scarlet playfully rolls her eyes as she takes his shirt and throws it in the sink. She definitely likes what she sees but won't tell him. She opens the first aid kit and pulls out a clean towel which she soaks with some disinfectant.

"This might sting a little," Scarlet warns him.

"Doubt it," Wolf replies.

Scarlet presses the damp cloth on Wolf's wound and he screams in a way that sounds like a howl. Scarlet jumps back as he curses and pounds a fist on the marble countertop. She sits for his vulgar language to simmer down before taking a step closer to him.

"I told you it would hurt," Scarlet tells him.

"If you hadn't had pointed that gun at me, we wouldn't be here!" He yells back.

"Maybe if you fought better, this cut wouldn't be here!"

Wolf narrows his eyes at her, feeling offended. "It's your fault that I was late! If I showed up on time then I wouldn't have fought that guy."

"Who trespassed in whose garden?!"

Wolf is silent at his verbal defeat. Scarlet just balls up the cloth in one fist as she opens the bottle of vodka with the other and takes a swig straight from it. Her mouth slightly puckers at the strong and tangy taste and she shakes her head vigorously, making her curls shake around. Wolf can't resist smiling at that sight so he does.

Scarlet then goes back to his cut with the cloth, dabbing it gently to get rid of the blood. She feels Wolf's muscles go taut at her touch but after taking a swig of vodka himself, he's calm.

Wolf down looks at Scarlet as she concentrates, he doubts that she knows what she's doing but he doesn't care. He studies her while she studies his wound. In his eyes, Scarlet Benoit is now something more than just another face in school. When she saved that girl (he thinks her name was Winter) from him and his Pack in the hallway unlike anyone else, she actually argued with them and threatened them. The fact that she's a girl who pointed a gun at him twice, watched him fight, is willing to look at all his scars and blood shed to help him, and actually argued with him makes him want to watch her more.

"Can I ask you something?" Wolf says. Scarlet nods, not looking away from the wound. "Why aren't you scared of me?"

Scarlet scoffs a little. "You screamed at the touch of medical alcohol. I obviously have nothing to be afraid of."

Scarlet turns away to throw the bloody cloth in the sink with his t-shirt. Then she goes to the first aid kit and pulls out some bandages and gauze, unsure of which one to use. She goes with the gauze and measures a piece to cut out.

"Why is your name Wolf?" She asks him as she puts his hands on the ends to hold it in place as she pulls out some medical tape.

"Ze'ev," he whispers.

"What?" She questions with the end of the tape in her mouth. She tears off some pieces to tape onto the bandages so they stay secure to his body.

"Ze'ev," he repeats, "my real name. It's Hebrew for Wolf."

Scarlet nods, fascinated. She unexpectedly smiles brightly at the revelation that his real name is actually Wolf. Now the idea of him having a Wolf Pack makes so much more sense and doesn't seem as weird as it once did.

"Why are you in a gang?" Scarlet asks him, resting her elbows on the counter and looking up at him with a serious look on her face. "Why do this and several other illegal shit for money. Why not be a pizza delivery boy or something?"

Wolf laughs a little. "There are so many things that I am not proud of and I don't normally open up but I trust you. My mother works in a factory with a shitty pay and it's hard to keep up with the bills and have full stomachs. In my life, you either get one or the other. The work I do, despite being illegal, produces more money. The pay check I get from one wrestling match is equal to two months pay of minimum wage at a part-time rate. However, I'm only there twice a month so my Pack and I make money otherwise. One of them is playing poker with the cocky rich kids - like Thorne - who will gamble their inheritance if they think they have such a winning hand. Then when they lose, we split the pot to use for our own purposes. It's how we live. Once you're in, it's hard to get out of."

Scarlet nods, not saying a word but her soft expression shows that she understands.

"But how do you attend Lunar Academy?" She adds. "That school is crazy expensive."

"How does anyone attend Lunar Academy?" He asks her back to get her to answer her own question.

"You're either extremely smart or extremely rich or a combination of the two."

"There's another clause that nobody really speaks about."

"What's that?"

"You're a Lunar from Luna."

It just hits Scarlet now that they live in Commonwealth which is in the Earthen Union and a Lunar is a citizen from Luna which is another country. It never really seemed odd that they'd have a school named after a different nation. Of course, they'd accept students from families who have migrated here.

"You're from Luna?" Scarlet asks, surprised.

Wolf nods.

"Born there?"

Wolf nods again.

"Moved here as an infant?"

A third nod.

"Why?"

Wolf shrugs. "Mom didn't like the way the president who was there before I was born treated the country."

"Politicians are assholes, except Mayor Rikan. He's pretty cool for raising the minimum wage by five dollars."

Wolf agrees.

Scarlet pats down on the wound that has now been cleaned and pressed on with fresh gauze. She steps back and goes to quickly wash her hands, wiping them on her jeans when she's done.

"I better be going," Wolf says as he hops off the counter.

"Your shirt is soaking wet but here, take this."

Scarlet takes off her red hoodie and hands it to him. Wolf is hesitant to put it on but she insists, saying that's the only thing she owns that will kind-of fit him. He puts it on and it's a bit snug but he has nothing to complain about since it smells pleasantly like her.

"Night, Scarlet," he says to her before heading out.

"I better get that hoodie back," Scarlet replies.

"You will."

"Hey, Wolf?"

Wolf turns back, leaning on the kitchen's doorframe

"I heard that being a bartender tips well," she tells him. "Apparently, listening to some rich person complain about how shitty their life is while giving them refills of their Cosmo really empties their wallet."

"We're too young to be bartenders," he says.

"First off, you're serving the drinks and not drinking them yourself but if you do then who cares. And second, you look older so it'll be fine."

"I'll consider it."

"And if I show up at your bar, I'll tip you big time."

Wolf snickers a little. "Thank you, Scarlet, for pointing that gun at me twice."

Scarlet watches Wolf walk out and once he's on his way home, she brings her hands up to her chest and can't seem to wipe the wide smile that's on her face.

* * *

 **As a person who is Wolflet trash, I had so much fun writing this.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- there is a little bit of confusion when it comes to returning that red hoodie.**


	16. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Six

**This chapter is hilarious. I find it funny.**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Six

The next day at school, Cress walks over to her locker and it doesn't surprise her to see Wolf's Pack there without him. After hearing why her locker is the ideal hangout destination, she isn't surprised. However, it does bother her. Why did these guys even bother going to school? Cress is annoyed, especially if this is going to be her only high school memory since everything else for her has been anti-climatic.

"Excuse me," Cress says to them just so they'll move away from her locker.

They move without her needing to say it again which she's grateful for since those two words alone took a lot of guts. However, their eyes are right on her which is making Cress anxious as she opens her locker to get her books. She can see them through her peripheral vision and she hopes they don't notice her shaking.

"Where's your _boyfriend_ , Thorne?" One member asks her. She isn't sure which one.

"I have no idea," Cress replies quickly and quietly. Her cheeks are burning up.

"Are you two dating?"

Cress hopes that what Thorne said was true - that they wouldn't dare hurt because she's too pure and innocent even though it seems as if they're snarling and breathing down her neck about Thorne. She's begging that the school bell would ring or better yet, the fire alarm. As much as she is in love with Thorne, she doesn't want to answer these question about him, especially to those creeps.

"Cress!" She hears her savior exclaim. Cress turns around and sees Cinder approaching her. "I'm lost and need to find my math class."

Cinder takes Cress' hand as she shuts her locker. Neither of the girls spare the Pack a look as they scurry down the hallway. Once far enough, Cress finally breathes out of relief and thanks Cinder for saving her.

"Thorne's in trouble with The Wolf Pack," Cress tells her. "I don't know why though. If they're asking me about it then he's obviously still not at school."

Cinder rolls her eyes because of Thorne. "That hypocritical dumbass. He was the one telling me not to get involved with them and now look who's hiding."

Cinder pulls out her phone and sends some texts to Thorne. The first few are insults and calling him a moron and then the concluding ones are her actually telling him the plan she has. Thorne replies in seconds, first offended by her insults, then expressing his platonic love for her in a dramatic manner, and agreeing. Cinder scoffs as she puts her phone away.

"Meet me at The Rampion after school," Cinder tells Cress as the bell rings. "Thorne will be there."

Cress nods.

-o-

Winter looks around the school hallways, looking for someone in particular whom she can't seem to spot. She thought a person so vibrant and alive would be easy to pick out in a crowd of mundane people. Winter turns around and when she finally spots her, she runs over.

"Scarlet!" Winter exclaims. "Hello, hi, how are you?"

Scarlet is blown away by all of Winter's energy at this early hour of the morning. Or maybe it was because she was exhausted and any amount of energy surprises her.

"You look tired," Winter says.

Scarlet nods. "Long night."

Scarlet thinks back to only a few hours ago when she was with Wolf. She watched him wrestle, saw him shirtless, learned more about him, bandaged him up. For all this time, she only saw Wolf as the leader of a gang but now she knows that he's only doing all this to survive in this world.

"Um, Scarlet?"

Scarlet shakes her head, not realizing that she zoned out in the middle of a conversation.

"Anyways," Winter continues, "I just wanted to thank you for saving me the first time I showed up here. It really meant a lot."

Scarlet smiles a little. "Don't mention it."

"I was trying to find you earlier but I was looking for a red hoodie and not red curls."

Scarlet tenses up as she feels her torso for her red hoodie which isn't there. Scarlet looks down and sees that she's only wearing her uniform. That's when she remembers that she let Wolf have her signature sweatshirt since she washed his blood-stained shirt. She needs that back.

"Come with me," Scarlet says.

It was said more like an order. Scarlet grabs Winter's wrist and drags her through the hallways. The two of them plow through the students, Winter giving some apologies to the students who curse at them. Scarlet knows exactly where to go to find Wolf. As they approach Cress' locker, Scarlet only sees Wolf's minions and not the boy himself.

"Hey, Dirt Pack!" Scarlet exclaims as she charges up to them while Winter shivers behind her. "Where the hell is your alpha?"

They shrug, looking at Scarlet and wondering why she's even asking for Wolf. Scarlet rolls her eyes as she takes one strap of her backpack off of her shoulder and swings it in front of her so it rests on her chest. She opens her backpack and pulls out Wolf's t-shirt. She slams it into one of the Pack member's chests and it is not only clean but it smells like flowers.

"I want my sweatshirt back," she hisses to them.

Scarlet walks off and Winter skips after her. The Pack looks at Scarlet and the shirt in their hands. All they could wonder is why Scarlet has his shirt and him with her sweat-shirt.

"We'll just have Wolf meet her at The Rampion," one of the Pack members, Derrick says.

"Agreed," the other member, José agrees.

-o-

After school, Cress, Cinder, and Winter sit in a booth at The Rampion. Cinder and Cress fill Winter in on the basics of the situation at hand since Winter is only here because she was going home with Cinder and wanted to see The Rampion for the first time. It blew her away just like it did for Cinder.

"How much longer will it take for Thorne to get here?" Cress asks Cinder.

Cinder looks down at her phone for any texts from Thorne. "He said he's already here."

The three girls all look around and don't see Carswell Thorne around. The only person they notice coming their way is some random guy in an oversized jacket, sunglasses, a beanie, and a bandana over his mouth. When he sits in the free spot next to Winter, the girls all recognize him and are speechless at Thorne's ridiculous disguise.

Scarlet approaches their booth and doesn't even notice the odd one out at first. She pulls out her notepad from her belt and the pen from behind her ear.

"Can I get your - " She finally notices, " - order?"

Thorne lowers his sunglasses to the bridge of his nose as he smiles up at Scarlet. Her nose is crinkled at this bizarre sight. After her reaction along with Cinder's, Cress's, and Winter's, Thorne realizes that he has never had a girl look at him that way - let alone four of them at once.

"Thorne, what the hell are you wearing?" Scarlet asks him.

"Who Thorne?" Thorne asks with a horrible foreign accent and grammar, obviously pretending not to be himself. "Me no comprendo anglais."

Scarlet rolls her eyes as she finally takes their orders and walks away. Once she's far, Thorne takes off his sunglasses and decides to explain himself to the girls.

"The Wolf Pack is after me," Thorne whispers to them. "I won against them in poker."

That confuses the three girls even more since you'd think that him winning wouldn't cause any trouble. Unless winning against The Wolf Pack is even worse than losing. Still, Thorne has more explaining to do.

"I won because I cheated," Thorne continues which makes so much more sense. "They didn't catch on until I was almost out the door. I owe them a lot of money that I don't have at the moment since my parents temporarily cut me off."

Cinder and Cress facepalm. Winter puts a hand on Thorne's shoulder for moral support.

-o-

Scarlet stands behind the counter, dealing with orders as she holds trays of food and brings them to customers. She doesn't notice when someone else walks in since she figures that it's just some other person. She picks up another tray of food and starts heading to the customers that ordered it.

"Missing your hoodie?"

Scarlet quickly turns around. She gets so excited at the sight of Wolf with her red hoodie that she drops the tray with all the food to claim it. Scarlet immediately curses as she kneels down to clean it up. Wolf laughs as he places her sweater on the counter and goes over to help her.

At the sound of plates hitting the floor, Cinder, Cress, Winter, and Thorne look over. They recognize the remnants of the food on the floor which makes their stomachs growl louder.

"Awe man," Thorne whines, "she dropped my burger."

"Why is Wolf here?" Cress wonders.

Thorne suddenly drops and hides underneath the table. Cress jumps up with a small squeal at his sudden reaction, Cinder is just embarrassed to be here with him, and Winter is lightly laughing. The girls just pretend that nothing happened and try to act normal as they subtly look at Scarlet and Wolf.

"Wolf is smiling and laughing?" Cress says, obviously astounded. She hears Thorne questioning it from under the table.

"Apparently Scarlet had his shirt and Wolf had her hoodie," Winter says.

"What?!" Cinder, Cress, and Thorne exclaim, Thorne hitting his head against the table.

Without the context behind that one statement, whatever happened between Scarlet and Wolf could be taken in so many different ways.

"I don't like the fabric softener you used on my shirt," Wolf whispers to Scarlet as he helps her clean up what she dropped, leaning in closer to her ear. "I smell like a meadow."

Scarlet smirks, taking in the scent of his cologne. "It's an improvement."

"Not if I can't help it."

Scarlet now kneels as she finishes cleaning it up. Both her and Wolf find themselves looking into each other's eyes as they put the broken dishes and discarded food on the tray to dispose of it. Once that's done and Scarlet deals with the replacement order, Wolf grabs the pen behind her ear and a napkin.

-o-

After about fifteen minutes, Wolf finally leaves the restaurant. That's when Thorne finally comes out from under the table. He stretches his body that currently aches from being arched under there for so long. Scarlet arrives at their table with their food and walks away, holding back a grin the longer she looks at Thorne.

"Wow," Thorne states, "Wolf didn't sense my presence. I think he's losing his touch."

Thorne spoke too soon. He looks down at his napkin and sees a message on it from Wolf.

 _'Nice outfit.'_

Thorne gasps before crumpling the napkin. The girls at his booth all look at him, wondering what could be wrong with him now.

"Wolf didn't eat me alive," Thorne says gratefully.

"And that's why," Cress says, pointing right at Scarlet Benoit.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Is Wolf still in the hunt for Thorne? And if not, will his Pack like that idea?**


	17. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Seven

**I love how a bunch of the reviews are saying that Wolf is a cinnamon bun because he really is.**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Seven

Another morning before school and The Wolf Pack stands outside, leaning against the school's walls as they take an early morning smoke. The Pack itself, Derrick and José haven't asked Wolf about his connections with Scarlet Benoit since they figured that Wolf would tell them nothing. They have no problems with Scarlet. She was threatening in general but not a direct threat to them. They knew her to be scary when she wants and has a kind-of insane grandmother who was once in the Air Force for the European Federation. Nevertheless, it was weird for their alpha to have a sudden interest in the girl.

"Do you have a plan for Thorne?" Derrick asks.

Wolf shrugs. "I don't care about getting Thorne anymore."

"What?! But, Wolf, we need the money."

"There are other ways to get money. How about being a bartender or a pizza delivery guy."

Derrick and José are speechless. Before, Wolf was a stickler for getting the money people owed him. Now, there was a sudden change of ideology for him which his Pack doesn't seem to understand, especially since the moment Thorne ran away, Wolf was the one who chased him through some neighborhoods.

"Thorne won," Wolf states. "It wasn't the right way but he was able to get away with cheating until we collected the cards."

"What happened to always being honest during our poker games?" José questions.

"What ever happened to no smoking on school property?" Wolf asks.

And with that, Wolf throws his cigarette the ground and exhales all the smoke out of his system before charging right into school. The Pack looks at each other suspiciously, wondering what their next move should be.

-o-

Later in the day, the Pack is at their usual hangout aka Cress' locker without their leader. This time, Cress doesn't have to ask them politely to move since they're standing at the nearby window and not actually in front of her locker. She can finally get to her locker liberally which she loves. Having them stand _beside_ her locker isn't a big deal for her since she doesn't own the wall. It just bothers her when they feel the new to stand right in front of her locker.

"Is it just me or is Wolf getting softer?" José questions Derrick rhetorically. "His decision to not get Thorne anymore is still a shock to me."

Cress purposely fixes her long hair so it falls over her face to cover the smile approaching her face. Thorne is no longer a wanted man which makes her happy. Maybe that'll teach him not play poker with The Wolf Pack, especially cheat in those games.

"But we need the money," Derrick says.

"Wolf's the alpha," José states. "I'm sure he'll come up with the money, even if we have to pull some strings to get it."

-o-

Late into the evening, Scarlet finishes her shower and steps out, hearing a knock on the door. On her toes, Scarlet quickly wrings out her hair and throws on her clothes. Scarlet bounces to the door as she forces her jeans on. They're finally buttoned once she reaches the door. She opens it and feels a bit happy to see Wolf on the other side.

"Hi," Scarlet says.

"Hi," Wolf replies.

He watches as her hair drips onto her shirt. Seeing her as fresh as a new day makes Wolf feel as if he's woken up only now. Whereas from Scarlet's eyes, seeing this boy with his dark hair and edges makes her feel as if the night has only just begun.

"Not breaking into my tomato garden?" Scarlet questions as a joke.

Wolf laughs a little. "I only do that at night."

Scarlet leans against the door, her face closer to his. Wolf doesn't move back. He takes a breath and can now smell her shampoo.

"Way to be creepy, you big bad Wolf..." Scarlet whispers to him.

Wolf would be lying if said he didn't like that. He has to hold himself back by biting on the inside of his cheek.

"I'm actually about to go pick up a package," Scarlet says, noticing his face drop a little. "But if you want, you could just chill here for a bit and wait until I get back. It's only a twenty-minute walk from here."

"Sure, I guess," Wolf says.

"Great," Scarlet says as she opens the door for him and she steps out. "Make it ten minutes because I might just run for you."

-o-

Cress walks home from the grocery store, holding a bag of a few groceries. It's getting dark and her heart rate is picking up. She hums to herself, thinking of what her inner ninja would do in case of an attack. She has her groceries which she could swing as a battering ram and the whistle on her keychain.

She looks ahead and sees Derrick and José. Her gut tells her to walk the other way but if what Thorne said about her being too much of an innocent shell is true, then she should be fine.

"We could use that Benoit girl as ransom," Derrick says. "We'll exchange her for money from Wolf. He obviously has a thing for her."

Cress immediately stops in her tracks and hide behind a tree. Her body is shaking at what she just heard. Judging by the fact that the Pack hasn't approached her current hiding spot yet indicated that they didn't notice her.

"My contact at the post office says that Scarlet should be dropping by to pick up a package," José adds. "How do we get Wolf from there?"

"He's Wolf," Derrick responds cynically. "He'll be following around Little Red in no time."

As they run off, Cress takes a peek from behind the tree just to make sure the coast is completely clear before coming out. She drops her groceries and quickly messages her dad to tell him that she'll be coming home late since she'll be at a friend's house. Cress then picks up her groceries and dials Scarlet's number as she begins running.

-o-

Wolf sits on Scarlet's couch with an ice-cold can of soda he got from her refrigerator. While sipping his drink, he wonders what he's doing here in Scarlet's house. His obvious feelings for her feel so sudden but maybe they haven't. Sure, he's known Scarlet for a while but she was nothing more than just a classmate or another face in the halls.

It started when the Blackburn girl came. Not Cinder but the other one, the one with the scars who he with his Pack ambushed on the first day. (He believes her name is Winter). Scarlet stood up for her and told the Pack off when nobody else did. Everyone else saw that day as just another beautiful girl in a spectacle but Scarlet pushed the Pack aside and defended Winter even though she was new and nobody knew her.

Then it was the tip jar where she bluntly said she just wanted his money and didn't care about his problems. Suddenly, the blood came and it was suddenly the moment she was bandaging his wound up on the kitchen counter where she basically slapped the shit out of him and his actions.

"The things that woman is doing to me..." Wolf grumbles, crushing the now-empty can in his hand.

He hears something ringing. Wolf escapes his thoughts and sees what that ringing noise is. He moves some papers on the Ottoman and sees Scarlet's cell phone which she left behind. He ignores it at first since it's none of his business but the calls keep coming so he picks up.

The person on the other end is screaming in a frenzy. Wolf drops the phone on the ground in shock, still being able to hear the screaming from the ground.

"Hey!" Wolf yells to get the person on the other end to stop screaming which works. It's now pin-drop silent on the other end. "Scarlet isn't here but she went to go pick up a package. She left her phone at home but she should be back soon. Who's this?"

 _Cress: It's Cress. Who's this?_

"It's Wolf. I'll be sure to tell Scarlet you called."

Wolf is about to hang up but the continued screaming causes him to put the phone back to his ear.

 _Cress: Scarlet's in trouble!_

"What?!" Wolf screams into the phone but the call ends abruptly.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What is The Wolf Pack up to? And how will Wolf respond to it?**


	18. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Eight

**Considering the fact that there are three chapters left in this arc (including this one), I will be posting for three days straight.**

 **I watched the first five minutes of _Baby Driver_ on a constant loop and got so inspired.**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Eight

Cress grunts as she holds her dead phone in her hands. It was the worst time for it to die. She was in the middle of a call that could save Scarlet's life - even though it wasn't Scarlet she was talking to. She paces back and forth, thinking on her toes as to what she should do now and then it hits her: Wolf picked up Scarlet's phone and said that she left it at home. That means that Wolf is at her house. She doesn't even wonder why he's there and not her but she doesn't care right now.

That's where she needs to go! And given where Cress is right now, Scarlet's house isn't a far walk and an even closer run. Cress begins running at top speed, hoping that her small legs will pick up speed at some point.

Cress knows that she has to do something. Not only is it the right thing to do but she feels as if she owes this to Wolf. If he didn't chase Thorne around, he wouldn't have ended up at her house and have given her the best night of her life...even if it meant facing Wolf on her own.

-o-

Scarlet walks in an alleyway with her head hunt down and her hands shoved in her jean pockets. Her arms shiver a little since the approaching night brings the cold and she forgot her red hoodie at home. Typically, she wouldn't be walking in a sketchy alleyway on her own in the dark but she has company at home and this is a shortcut to avoid keeping him waiting.

"Hello, pretty lady."

Scarlet stops walking on the spot at the sound of that voice. She spins around and sees Derrick at the other end of the alleyway. She tilts her head in a mock defiance as Derrick approaches her.

"You're Wolf's girl," Derrick says as he approaches her.

"What?" Scarlet asks, unsure if she heard that right.

"Here's the thing: You're Wolf's girl and he owes us some money."

"I'm not his goddamn ATM. Get your money from Wolf yourself."

"That's the problem, Wolf won't pay so we need to get the money otherwise."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

Derrick looms in closer to her. "Scream for him."

"I'm not a damsel," Scarlet grits through her teeth, knowing what he wants with her. It's nothing inappropriate since these boys want actual cash.

"You're Little Red and he's The Big Bad Wolf. He'll come for you."

Scarlet rolls her eyes.

"Scream."

She might as well cooperate with them. Scarlet puts her hands on her hips. She takes a deep breath, preparing herself for the scream of her life.

"I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!" Scarlet screams.

Derrick is silent, unsure of what just happened. Scarlet grins at him.

"Wrong fairytale but still," Scarlet says. "Bye!"

Scarlet turns around to run before crashing into a parked car that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Her head hits the door and she suddenly feels drowsy. Scarlet stumbles back but feels Derrick catch her from behind. He gently places her in the backseat and closes the door. Derrick gets in the passenger seat as José drives off.

-o-

Cress finally approaches Scarlet's house, panting for air. She really needs to start exercising more often after this to get into shape. Cress drops her groceries by the mailbox as she jogs up to the front door. She begins pounding against it.

"Wolf!" Cress yells as she continues hitting the door. "Wolf, it's me, Cress!"

Wolf opens almost immediately and Cress finds herself hitting his solid chest, thinking that it's still the door. Cress jumps with a small scream as she takes a step back from Wolf. She looks up at him and sees that he is fuming as he grabs her arm and yanks her into the house. Cress shakes, thinking that he might kill her because that's what it looks like.

"Explain," he orders.

Cress rapidly nods her head, panicking. "I-I heard your Pack talking while I was walking home from the grocery store. They s-said something about taking your girl - Scarlet - so you'll pay up the money you never got from Thorne because he almost got away with cheating. Apparently, you have t-to pay because you're the alpha and you canceled getting Thorne."

Wolf's sharp eyes soften up which make Cress relax a little. Nevertheless, she's still scared.

"Scarlet is not _'my girl'_ ," Wolf states.

Cress hugs herself at her sides. "So you're not going to save her?"

"Of course I'm going to save her!" Wolf screams, running out of the house.

Cress stumbles on her toes as she runs out after him. She watches as Wolf paces back and forth, trying to think of what to do. Cress watches him as she closes the front door behind her. He could try to ask her where The Pack is going but she wouldn't know since she would've mentioned it.

"Let's go," Wolf commands.

It takes Cress a second to realize that he's actually talking to her. She runs in small strides as she keeps up with him. Since Wolf walked to Scarlet's house and Cress ran, they don't have a means of transportation. Wolf looks on Scarlet's driveway and sees a small white sedan in the driveway. He sighs and groans about how girly of a car it is but he has no choice...and no keys.

"Come here," Wolf says to Cress.

Cress is hesitant as she takes a few steps closer to her. Wolf reaches into her hair and Cress immediately tenses up as he pulls out a bobby pin. Cress is stunned as Wolf uses it to unlock the car. He gets in the driver's seat as he makes her sit shotgun. Cress clumsily gets in the seat since this whole situation is scaring her right now and she hasn't stopped shaking since she got here. Wolf rummages through the glove compartment for something useful and all that's there is a pair of old-lady sunglasses which he makes Cress wear.

"Why?" Cress is almost too terrified to ask.

"So any street cameras won't recognize you," he says. Cress' mouth goes completely dry. "I don't care if they recognize me since I probanly already have a record. Tie up your hair as well."

Cress nods as she gathers her hair into a ponytail. Wolf uses the bobby pin he got from her earlier and jams it into the ignition. The car starts whirring and Wolf pulls out of the driveway.

"Which way?" Wolf asks.

Cress points straight ahead and she gasps when Wolf throws the car in reverse and starts driving backwards and the other way. Once he picks up speed, he spins the wheel and the car spins sharply. Wolf takes the next turn and Cress immediately buckles her seatbelt and grips tightly on the door handle and cup holder. Up ahead there's a green light that turns yellow.

"We're not going to make it!" Cress screams.

But Wolf doesn't hear her. He only hears the roaring engine has his eyes focused on the changing traffic lights. As the light turns red, Wolf pulls on the emergency brake and lets the car drift right across the opposite traffic lane. Cars honk at them as they force their brakes. Wolf releases the brake and picks up speed once again.

Cress is completely rattled and feels like vomiting but her stomach was left back at the traffic light they just ran through. She turns around and sees that nobody was hurt back there but the police will definitely be on their tails if this is only the start of Wolf's driving.

"Wolf..." Cress murmurs softly. "I'm scared."

"Don't be," Wolf replies.

"Why not?"

"It doesn't help." Wolf sighs. "Cress, you'll be fine. I will make sure you stay fine. Us Lunars gotta stick together."

Cress looks at him differently now that she knows he's from Luna, in a good way though. "How did you know that I was from Luna?"

Wolf grins. "I know everything."

Cress stops asking.

At the sound of sirens, Cress turns around and bites down on her tongue. She looks at Wolf who doesn't seem to be bothered by this. He presses harder on the gas and Cress watches their miles per hour number speed up. Wolf looks ahead and a bus entering its terminal. Cress can't help but scream as he turns to cut the bus off and enter the terminal himself.

"Wolf, Wolf, Wolf!" Cress exclaims, pointing ahead.

Wolf looks and sees another bus pulling out of its bay. He quickly throws the car into neutral and drops the brake, spinning the wheel. Cress holds on tight as the car glides about 180 degrees. Wolf picks up the brakes again as he puts the car back in drive. He spins the car back around and gets back onto the main road.

"Where the hell is the freeway?!" Wolf exclaims.

"Turn left!" Cress replies.

Cress wasn't prepared for that turn at all, even though she said it. On one of the roads, Wolf looks over to the next one and sees the flashing red and blue lights. He looks ahead at the intersection where both roads meet and sees a police man throw out a long metallic strip meant to pop their tires. Wolf expects Cress to scream or point it out but she has found comfort in chewing the ends of her ponytail.

Wolf rolls his shoulders back as he floors the gas. Cress holds her breath as Wolf keeps heading towards the strip. At the last second, the cop dives out of the way and Wolf drives through where he was standing and escapes that problem. Cress looks back and then faces Wolf again.

"You'd think that the ones who are kidnapping my girl would be in a police chase but no, it has to be me," Wolf grumbles.

Behind the hair in her mouth, Cress smiles a little. For the first time in this entire ride, Cress feels at ease with Wolf behind the wheel. After all, he finally admitted that Scarlet was his girl.

* * *

 **Haha poor, poor Cress.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Will Wolf be able to save Scarlet? And will Cress be able to keep her cool during all this?**


	19. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Nine

**There is only one more chapter left in this arc so enjoy this long one.**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Nine

Scarlet's head pounds as she sits up in the backseat of a sports car that reeks of cigarettes. She coughs and that's when the Derrick and José know that she's fully conscious. She sits in the middle, looking out the windows and seeing cars whirr past them. As of right now, she has no plan for an escape since they're in the middle of the freeway. She thinks to herself that she should've brought her gun with her. Scarlet leans forwards and props her elbows on her knees so her head could rest on her hands.

"Nice to see you're finally up," José says.

Scarlet doesn't respond.

"Maybe she's catatonic?" Derrick guesses.

Derrick turns around and waved a hand in front of Scarlet's face. She doesn't even blink. Derrick snaps his fingers but there is still no response. When he resorts to actually touching her chin, Scarlet lunges her head forwards and bites down on his hand as hard as he can. Derrick screams as he pulls back, shaking his hand out and cursing at her. Scarlet spits as José laughs.

"You two are nothing more than Wolf's purse dogs," Scarlet tells them as she crosses her legs in the backseat.

"We're not his purse dogs," Derrick replies.

"We don't even fit in bags," José argues.

Derrick grumbles under his breath and Scarlet just stares in an utmost belief that she's in a car with absolute morons.

"I think a body bag will do you two justice," Scarlet says. "Hey, I have a question. How the hell is Wolf supposed to find me if he doesn't know this is happening?"

"Wolf knows everything," José says.

"He's not that smart," Scarlet retorts. "For starters, he picked you two to be a Pack."

-o-

Cress takes a deep breath as the sirens disappear. Wolf smirks a little as he enters the freeway and accelerates even more but this time, he's at an appropriate speed. Cress wants to desperate ask him where the hell he learned to drive like this and if he knows where he's going, but the words don't leave her mouth.

"Keep your eyes open," Wolf tells her.

"For what?" Cress asks.

"Sports car."

Cress looks ahead of her and in the rearview mirror to find a sports car. There are many which Cress points out but Wolf shakes his head. She only sees minivans and trucks going the same way as them. Then, Cress looks at the cars going the other way and points out a slick, streamlined navy blue sports car.

"That's them!" Wolf exclaims.

Cress braces herself for what Wolf is about to do next. Since they're going opposite ways on the freeway, the only way to change directions is to exit and reenter the other way. But after the driving Cress has experienced from Wolf, she knows that's not going to happen.

Once the mid-length concrete wall separating the two directions is gone, Wolf illegally turns and now enters the other direction. He is now speeding up to catch that sports car. He changes lanes amongst that direction until he's close enough to the sports car. Wolf goes into the lane next to theirs and is relieved when he sees Scarlet in the backseat, with a glaring look in her eyes as she looks at Derrick and José.

"Cress," Wolf says, "switch places with me."

"What?!" Cress exclaims.

Out of all the crazy driving techniques, she has seen from Wolf tonight, that one statement takes the cake. Cress looks at Wolf skeptically and scared but his face is a hundred percent confident in this. For a second, she thinks about this logically: Wolf knows how to handle this situation a whole lot better than she does.

"How?" Cress asks.

"Follow my lead," Wolf replies.

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Wolf unbuckles his seatbelt. Cress copies. Wolf reaches back with his free hand and lowers the seat all the way until he's lying flat. Cress picks up her legs and puts her feet on top of Wolf's that are on the gas and brake pedals so he could remove his. She grips on the steering wheel as Wolf slides out of the seat and lands in the back, remaining crouched. Cress shifts into the seat as Wolf adjusts it back to normal. Now behind the wheel, Cress can't believe that just happened. She calms herself down and tries to convince herself that this is all just a video game.

"Oh my stars, I'm going to die!" Cress finally exclaims after holding that in this whole time. A part of her is kind of happy that she'd get to die in such a badass way.

"Cress," Wolf says in the most sincere tone she's ever heard him use, "I swear on my life that you will not die tonight."

-o-

Scarlet plays with her nails in the car. She looks out the window and does a double-take when she sees the car next to them. Scarlet finds herself staring at the small white sedan that's burning rubber. When she gets a good look at the license plate, she is in absolute shock when she sees that it's her Grandmère's car. Scarlet is even more confused when she sees Cress behind the wheel wearing her Grandmère's sunglasses.

That sight makes no sense for so many reasons. Maybe she's inhaled too much smoke and is hallucinating.

Scarlet goes back to playing with her nails until something else catches her eye. The window of her Grandmère's car is open and she sees Wolf in the backseat. Scarlet's heart flutters a bit and a smile unconsciously appears on her face.

"Hey, Dirt Pack," Scarlet says to them. "You were right. The Big Bad Wolf did come for Little Red."

Derrick and José look over and sees Wolf in the next car over. They freak out, not actually expecting to see Wolf in a while let alone next to him on the freeway.

"I hope you have a plan," Scarlet says with a little tune, "because he clearly does."

José steps on the gas, bypassing Wolf's car. He cuts off the person in the next lane over and so on and so forth until he's on the other end of the freeway. Scarlet looks back with a hopeful smile on her face. Maybe Wolf does know everything.

"Quick question," Scarlet says, sitting up straighter. "How much money does Wolf owe you?"

-o-

Cress is startled by Wolf's sudden outburst as he slams a fist against the car window. She tries to cut lanes to get closer but the traffic isn't on her side. Wolf is antsy and Cress looks down at the wheel. She balls one of her hands into a fist and slams it into the horn.

As the horn blares, Wolf falls back and covers his ears. As all the cars outside slow down and wonder what the hell that noise was, Cress steps on the gas and swerves to be in the lane next to the Pack again. Then everything reruns to normal.

"Aces, Cress..." Wolf mutters as he sits up again. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"Me neither..." Cress replies, still shaking from her own stunt. "What now?"

"I need more time to think. Can I trust you to be behind the wheel?"

"I think you should've asked that before we swapped places."

Wolf perks up with an idea as he opens the window. This is definitely going to be a stupid and dangerous plan but this whole car ride has been stupid and dangerous. His eye meets Scarlet's again and she seems more pissed at him that his Pack.

 _'Sorry'_ , Wolf mouths to her.

 _'I hate you!'_ Scarlet mouths back followed by a flood of crude slurs Wolf can't keep up with.

Wolf rolls his eyes as Scarlet sticks up her middle finger at him. He can't blame her for being mad since if he was in her shoes, he'd be pretty pissed too.

 _'Do you trust me?'_ He mouths to her.

 _'Do you have a plan?'_

 _'Not really.'_

 _'Then yes.'_

-o-

"$500," José responds to Scarlet as to how much Wolf owes them.

"Wow," Scarlet states. "You guys must be incredibly pathetic to do all this for only a couple hundred dollars."

The Pack says nothing. Scarlet snickers at their stupidity again. She reaches into her back pocket and grabs her wallet. She opens it and leafs through some bills before throwing them at the Pack. Derrick counts it all and it equals the amount. Scarlet shoves her wallet back in her pocket.

"Can I go now?" Scarlet asks.

"We could take the next exit - ?"

"No. Good-fucking-bye."

Scarlet unlocks her door and opens it. The gust of wind due to the speed at which the car is driving blows her hair back. She looks ahead at which Wolf is in the car next to hers as close as it could get. Half of his body is sticking out of the car window and his arms are stretched out. She cranes her legs out and the courage on her face vanishes. Her breathing is frightened at the idea of jumping from this car into Wolf's arms on a speeding freeway is deadly.

"Keep the car steady!" Wolf yells at Cress.

"I'm trying to keep myself steady!" Cress panics in return.

Wolf and Scarlet lock eyes and it feels as if time slows down - which makes this feel easier for her. Scarlet takes a deep breath and holds it in. She holds the edges of the car tightly as she stands, keeping her back arched. Scarlet bends her knees and launches herself off the car and into the air. The Pack speeds up and drives off just as Scarlet lands in Wolf's arms. He holds her tightly as she keeps her knees to her chest to avoid them scraping against the road. Scarlet's nails dig into the back of his neck as she holds onto him, her curls hitting his face. Wolf slides over and Scarlet puts her legs in through the window. She holds the roof of the car as Wolf gets in first. Once he's inside, he holds Scarlet's legs as she shimmies inside. Cress closes the back window and her arms finally relax since she could just drive normally now.

Scarlet finally exhales. She and Wolf are sitting on the floor of the backseat, breathing loudly. They look at each other, neither one of them saying a word until Scarlet makes the first moves. Her brows furrow as she lunges forwards towards Wolf and starts punching and screaming curses at him. Wolf happily accepts them all until he finally holds her hands by the wrists.

"Asshole, I hate you!" Scarlet screams at him.

"I know," Wolf replies calmly. "I unintentionally let you into my dark sides and almost got you killed because I thought I was making it all better. This probably sounds terrible now but I have been falling in love with you for a while now. You managed to make me rethink my ways in such a short amount of time and it's only written in the stars on what you could do forever because that's what I want. I want a forever with you in it as my Alpha Female, Scarlet."

Scarlet looks at him with shock. "Wolf, I - "

Before Scarlet could properly react, Wolf grabs her face and pulls her into a kiss. Scarlet's body tenses and she completely freezes. Her eyes are wide open as she starts to realize what's happening: Wolf's lips are pressed into hers as his strong and calloused hands cradle her face and pull her closer. It feels heavenly. Wolf's lips are soft and his cologne is musky.

Cress is staring, gawking. She is just as surprised to see Scarlet and Wolf kissing. Then she focuses back on driving as the two of them make out on the floor of the backseat.

* * *

 **Poor awkward third-wheel Cress. Although if I had a chance to get a front row seat to watch Wolflet make out, I would take it in a heartbeat.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- How will Cress be after this whole experience? And what will happen with Wolf and his Pack and Scarlet?**


	20. The Big Bad Wolf: Part Ten

**This is the last chapter in Wolf's arc.**

* * *

The Big Bad Wolf: Part Ten

Cress exits the freeway and drives back to Scarlet's house. She parks in the driveway and Scarlet and Wolf are the first ones out of the car. After they shared that kiss in the backseat, the car ride was completely silent. Cress couldn't even find any nerve in her to turn on the car radio. She was still in shock from the entire night. She's unsure which event left her the most speechless: Wolf's driving, her driving, Scarlet's jump from one car to another or their kiss.

"Cress."

Cress jumps a little at the sound of her name, unaware that she zoned out. She looks to her left and sees Scarlet standing there with the driver's door open and Wolf standing behind her. Little did Cress know that her hands feel as if they're glued to the steering wheel. Scarlet ends up prying Cress off the wheel. Cress is still jittery on her feet and eases up when Scarlet wraps her arms around her shoulders in a hug, rocking them both side-to-side.

"Thank you, Cress, for telling Wolf and actually being with him throughout this whole thing," Scarlet says to her.

"Oh, yeah," Cress mumbles back. For a moment, she forgot that she told Wolf about all this. "You're welcome."

Cress suddenly feels something hit her shoulder. She spikes up until she realizes that it's Wolf's hand _gently_ clapping on her shoulder. If that was his gentle then his rough would've actually killed her.

"You did great, Cress," Wolf tells her. "You're not what I expected you to be. You're a secret force to be reckoned with and I'm impressed."

Cress smiles timidly. Never in all her life did she ever think she would get some sort of approval from Wolf let alone this entire night. Getting praise from him actually feels kind of nice. Maybe because he is or was a gang leader so getting recognition makes her feel validated.

Scarlet parts from Cress. "I'm going to go grab some sodas and then Cress, I'll give you a ride home."

Wolf laughs a little. "Yeah, you better be the one driving. She's had enough of me behind the wheel."

Scarlet looks at Cress who's nodding rapidly like a bobblehead. A more accurate saying would be that Cress is done with Wolf's driving for a lifetime.

-o-

As Scarlet drives off, Cress walks into her house. It isn't until she locks the door behind her that she exhales all the breath she's been holding this whole night. For the first time, she finally understands what she just went through and feels incredibly safe. She turns around and sees her distraught father, Dr. Sage Darnel, standing at the top of the staircase.

"Crescent Moon Darnel, I've been worried sick about you," he says, coming down to the mudroom where she currently stands.

Cress is silent at the sound of her full name. She doesn't want to tell her father about the drive with Wolf but she also doesn't want to lie to him.

"I stopped by Scarlet Benoit's house for a bit and my phone died," Cress says to him. It's not technically a lie, it's just not the whole truth. "She gave me a ride home. I'm sorry."

Cress' dad softens up and takes off his glasses. He looks at her carefully and Cress tries her best not to give off any bad vibes since her dad is a psychiatrist and studies people for a living.

"Are you okay?" Sage asks her.

"It was just a weird car ride," she replies. "Very, _very_ weird."

Before her dad could say anymore, Cress drops the groceries at her feet and goes to hug her dad tightly. Sage is taken aback before wrapping one arm around Cress' back and rubbing her hair with the other.

-o-

After returning home, Wolf and Scarlet sit in her living room right on the sofa, keeping an entire couch cushion separating them. They haven't spoken about the kidnapping of the kiss ever since they happened. Even when they were alone in the car after dropping Cress off, it was just silent. Neither of them knew how to start a conversation, especially after Wolf professed his feelings for her and Scarlet didn't even respond to his monologue since he was already kissing her. It isn't until Wolf scoots over into the middle seat that the words start coming out.

"You don't care about the danger I just put you in," Wolf says to her. Scarlet looks at him. "And it's going to take a while to be completely free from this mess. Are you sure you want to be my Alpha Female?"

"Oh, please," Scarlet responds. "We don't have time for this. You have always been dangerous. But if you're my Alpha and I'm yours then nothing is going to change because of a little car chase."

"I'm _your_ Alpha?"

Scarlet grins. "Well, with your Wolf Pack on a permanent hibernation, who else are you going to be loyal to?"

Wolf grins as he puts his arm around Scarlet's shoulders. She rests her head on his shoulders, freeing her curls and putting a hand on his chest. Despite only becoming each other's Alphas a moment ago, being this close and intimate feels like second nature for them. It's only a knock on the door that causes them to separate.

"I'll get it," Scarlet says, hopping off the couch and walking over to the door.

Scarlet opens the door and is faced with a policeman. Her eyes are wide open as her jaw slightly drops open and all the color leaves her body. She begs that he doesn't have a warrant to search the house because Wolf is sitting on the living room couch and he most likely has an outstanding record.

"Good evening, Ma'am," the cop says to Scarlet. "Sorry to disturb you at such a late hour but your vehicle was involved in a high-speed chase on the freeway this evening. I have reasons to believe that you were the driver. I'm going to have to place you under arrest and take you in."

Scarlet can't think of a response without throwing Wolf under the bus. She can hear Wolf getting up from the living room, probably to beat up this policeman. Scarlet feels a presence from behind her. She looks over her shoulder and is surprised to see her Grandmère, Michelle Benoit, standing behind her since she didn't think she was home. The cop greets her as well and Michelle smiles nicely.

"That won't be necessary," Michelle says, stepping between Scarlet and the cop. "I'm Retired Officer Michelle Benoit of The European Federation's Air Force and I was the driver of that car."

"You were?" The cop asks in shock. Even Scarlet is stunned to hear her Grandmère say those lies just to protect her although she remains neutral to look innocent.

"I was. You know how it is when getting the early bird specials, gotta beat traffic to get the good things." She winks at him. "Besides, I was harmlessly putting my former piloting skills in my car. It was a success comsidering your men couldn't stop me, don't you think?"

The cop is stunned before apologizing and wishing them a good night. As he walks off, giving Michelle a respectful salute, she escorts Scarlet back in the house. Michelle's smile turns into a frown as she faces Scarlet. Scarlet didn't even realize that her Grandmère was home (she probably got here during all the chaos).

"What was that?" Michelle asks. "And who is that handsome boy in the living room?"

"Oh, uh." Scarlet's blushing. "That's - uh - "

Wolf comes out. "Hi, I'm Wolf. You must be Scarlet's grandmother. I'm sorry for the odd time to meet but I'm Scarlet's boyfriend."

Michelle looks at Scarlet who's nodding her head. She then looks back at Wolf and raises her head a little as if she was about to start interrogating him.

"I assume you were the one driving my car," Michelle says to him.

"I was," Wolf admits. "I was looking for some former friends of mine and paying them some money that I owed."

To his surprise and Scarlet's, Michelle smiles.

"I was watching the car chase on the news," Michelle says excitedly. "I didn't think that my old car still had so much life in her. Good for you, handsome boy, good for you!"

Michelle pats his shoulder. Wolf grins at the compliment and Scarlet blushes, completely mortified by all this embarrassment. Her Grandmère is calling Wolf handsome and patting his shoulder as if they were friends. This is completely weird for her.

"Anyways," Michelle says, "I'm all tuckered out. I wish you both a goodnight."

As she dismisses herself, Scarlet waits until she hears the bedroom door close before moaning in agony for what just happened. Wolf doesn't seem to mind only because he got called handsome. But now the two of them are alone again.

"Can I ask you something?" Scarlet asks him. Wolf looks at her expectant. "Why me?"

"You have the guts to tell me that I'm an asshole and you're not afraid to hit or point your gun at me," Wolf replies. "You're stubborn as hell and sometimes a real pain in the ass. You're also hot."

Scarlet smirks.

"Be my Alpha-Female," Wolf tells her.

"I thought I already said yes," Scarlet replies. "I'll be your Alpha-Female but just know that I'm not a thousand percent in love with you."

"I'll change that."

"Paying me back the $500 I gave your ex-cronies could help."

Wolf snickers. "I will pay you back in kisses."

"Fair play."

-o-

She lies flat on her bed, staring right up at the ceiling with the thoughts in her head running a mile a minute. Cress couldn't sleep that night. Maybe it was the anxiety. Maybe it was the discomfort. Maybe it was her phone going off. Cress reaches for it on her night table and sees that it's a phone call.

 _Scarlet: I see you're still awake._

"Yes, I am," Cress admits.

 _Scarlet: Are you okay?_

"I'm rattled."

 _Scarlet: Besides the danger, I think that was all good for you._

"How so?"

 _Scarlet: If you can still pull off the 'innocent girl' look after all that, then you're stronger than you think._

Cress smiles at the thought of that. She never pictured herself as strong. Then again, she did survive a car chase and even plowed through the freeway like a boss. Wolf praised her! Maybe she could still be innocent after being in danger.

 _Scarlet: Now, repeat after me - I'm Cress Darnel and I'm an innocent badass._

Cress laughs a little. "I'm Cress Darnel and I'm an innocent badass."

 _Scarlet: Good. Now I'm going to hang up and you better sleep._

Scarlet hangs up. Cress sends a quick sleeping selfie with the flash to her to prove that she's asleep or will be sleeping. Scarlet does the same in return, hers with a peace sign and a little caption _'here's to our new friendship.'_

* * *

 **And that concludes the second arc. I have the third arc fully planned but I will be slower when it comes to writing it because of school. Feel free to guess who the next arc will be named after.**


	21. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part One

**Guys, I hate school and I didn't realize this chapter took place at school.**

 **Ah, yes, this arc now belongs to Cress. I love the name of it.**

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part One

One morning before school, Cinder and Kai walk through the hallways, passing the time before class starts with one another. Ever since the almost-kiss in the junkyard, Cinder and Kai have basically been inseparable friends with an obvious chemistry at school. It was hard for them to have time together after school since they're both busy with their part-time jobs (Cinder being a mechanic and Kai working at the information desk at city hall). School would be the only time they could be together with the only interruption being class.

"I could visit you at your work," Kai offers. "We could take Nainsi through the car wash."

"Interesting," Cinder comments.

"Or we could both just step out for a couple of minutes and go through some drive-thrus," Kai suggests. "I could show you that Commonwealth is more than just The Rampion and Lunar Academy."

"Those take forever," Cinder whines. "It's almost as if you _want_ to be locked in a car with me."

Kai shrugs. "Maybe. That's just so you can't run off."

Cinder laughs a little. "Oh my stars, that was _one_ time."

"You run so fast!"

-o-

Across the hall, Scarlet walks towards her locker with Wolf trailing behind her. Their appearance as a couple along with the slow disappearance of The Wolf Pack literally silenced the school. At first, nobody knew what to think since it seemed so odd for a bit but when people saw that they lasted for more than a week and the endless spew of Wolf's forced selfies that Scarlet wanted, the rumors went out and people saw them as relationship goals. The two of them basically became each other's best friends and lovers in such a short amount of time.

"Scarlet, your shoe is untied," Wolf tells her.

Scarlet stops walking and looks down at her untied tennis shoe.

"Could you tie it?" Scarlet asks him.

"Tie your own shoe," Wolf replies.

"You just want me to bend over in my skirt so you could see my butt."

Wolf pauses for a moment. "...I didn't even think of that until now."

Scarlet turns around and sees Wolf raising his eyebrows at her. She rolls her eyes. In an instant, Scarlet lifts her foot and puts it on his leg. Wolf looks at it. He then sees Scarlet gesturing towards him and her untied shoe. He rolls his own eyes before tying it extra tight on purpose.

-o-

Cress is in the middle of all the romance, leaning against a classroom door. Kai and Cinder chat at one end while Wolf ties Scarlet's shoe at the other one. Cress smiles, only because she's picturing those moments happening between herself and Thorne. The harsh reality of it all is that the only place those will ever happen is her mind.

Ever since The Wolf Pack dissolved and Thorne was a free man, he went back to forgetting that she exists which she sadly kind of expected since she's just Cress. At first glance, she's almost entirely unremarkable: long blonde hair that goes down to her waist, blue eyes, short, and quiet. She's ordinary so she blends in which never bothered her. That's why she often thinks that a boy like Carswell Thorne would not know that she exists.

Speaking of the devilish boy, here he is now marching through the halls. Thorne walks through the middle of the halls, saying hello and winking at girls as if he owns the place. Scarlet tries to trip him with her newly-tied shoe but he jumps over it flawlessly. Then, Thorne spins around to rub it in her face until he bumps into Wolf.

"Hey, Wolf!" Thorne exclaims. "How are ya?"

Wolf is obviously not amused by this. "We're not friends."

Thorne lightly punches Wolf's arm. "We could be besties."

Wolf glares at him. Thorne winks at him before heading down his own way. Cress notices Thorne coming her way but she just turns around to avoid seeing him. She would love to look at Thorne since he's the most beautiful boy she's ever seen but there's the chance that Thorne wouldn't see her and she would rather be wondering whether or not Thorne spared her a look than know for sure that Thorne didn't see her. Oh, if only her and Thorne were besties...she would even love that.

"Why are you all sad?"

Cress breaks from her daydream and turns to see Winter standing there. She has no idea how long Winter has been standing there. From how relaxed Winter looks, Cress guesses that it's been at least five minutes.

"Everyone's in love and my fantasy relationship is one-sided," Cress admits.

Winter sighs, pitying Cress and putting a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Cress says, just assuming that someone like Winter has a boyfriend.

"He's a cadet in Andromeda Academy," Winter replies proudly. "Wanna see him?"

"Sure."

Winter pulls out her phone and opens her camera roll. "His name is Jacin."

Winter scrolls through pictures which are mostly selfies containing her and Jacin. Winter is smiling and making all sorts of weird faces in one corner of the picture while Jacin is in the background. There's one where he's on his phone not paying attention, one where he finally notices, one where he covers his face, then he's trying to push her phone away which doesn't work, one where he's glaring as she's puckering her lips for a kiss and he's just staring at her, and then there's finally the kiss.

"Jacin hates selfies but I love them," Winter says, continuing to look at the selfies. "He calls them humanity's breaking point but I believe he just doesn't know how to take them."

God, Cress loves this. She doesn't even know Jacin but she does know that Andromeda Academy is in Luna so the fact that they're long-distance makes them even cuter. Even looking at Winter beam as she scrolls through the endless selfies makes her look even happier which only highlights her beauty even more which Cress didn't think was possible.

Cress sighs. "Of course a beautiful girl like you is dating a cadet. Are you a secret princess or something because you're like a princess dating her guard?"

"I thought I was when I was a kid and my dad just went along with it." Winter puts a hand on Cress' shoulder. "Do not worry, Cress, Thorne will notice you. You're too beautiful for him _not_ to come to his senses."

Cress stares at her stunned. "How did you know I liked Thorne?"

Winter smirks. "Come with me."

Keeping her camera on, Winter skips through school and Cress lightly jogs to keep up. Cress isn't sure what Winter has planned nor does she know where they're going. Eventually, Winter resorts back to a walk when she hears Cress panting for air since she's exhausted. Cress catches up and sees that they're in the football field where the school's team is getting an early morning practice before classes.

"You need to have more confidence in yourself," Winter says. "You need to believe that you can get Thorne so you can get him."

"Then why are we here?" Cress asks.

"Follow my lead."

Before Cress could ask, Winter starts walking right through the middle of the practice while holding Cress' hand. Football players are rushing past them, just missing Winter and Cress as they get tackled to the ground by their teammates. Some scream at them and Cress just cowers behind Winter. This is scary for her but not as scary as being in a car with Wolf. Winter doesn't even bat an eyelash as she walks through the game. She has her eyes looking at the other end. Even when the ball skims their heads, Winter has no reaction. Cress, on the other hand, screams a little. Then, they reach the other end of the field and Cress acts as if that was the longest walk of her life.

"What is wrong with you?" Cress asks, her voice a little higher-pitched than usual. She's currently shaking.

"Nothing," Winter replies casually. "I'm just being confident."

* * *

 **In all honesty, Winter seems like that friend who just knows everything about everyone.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Will Thorne notice Cress?**


	22. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Two

**A lot of people request for Kaider to be written and to be honest, they're my least favorite pairing to write ONLY BECAUSE I feel as if I still don't have their personalities on lock. Do you all think I do? But lucky for all of you, this arc dips into Kaider.**

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Two

Her thighs burn the longer her steaming bowl of popcorn sits on her crossed bare legs. The steam hits her face but all she acknowledges is the buttery scent making her tongue water. What makes her eyes water is the steam as well, not the romance movies and shows Cress is currently browsing through. After finishing her homework and studying, Cress decides that it's best to take a breather from video games and watch some movies on television. The only problem that comes with that is the options for her are only romance flicks for some odd reason which only reminds her that she doesn't have a love life. She clicks the remote and just settles for what she chose without knowing what exactly she picked.

 _"That's what I wanna find. True love. The kind that you fight for, that you always put first. That makes you wanna do good and better."_

"I wish, buddy, I wish," Cress murmurs.

She changes the channel.

 _"I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you."_

Cress is left speechless at the sound of that, mostly because of the high vocabulary level. If only Thorne would profess his love for her like that. Or better yet, if only Thorne had a love for her like she does for him or this character in the movie.

New program.

 _"Maybe, you're just too scared that someone might actually want to be with you."_

 _"And why would that scare me?"_

 _"Because then you wouldn't be able to hide behind your books or your freakin telescope or your faith. You know the reason why you're scared? It's 'cause you wanna be with me too."_

"This is now bothering me," Cress says bitterly to herself.

She changes the channel yet again. This time around, it's a sci-fi show which she's happy for because those aren't romantic, right?

 _"It's hard to leave when you haven't said goodbye."_

 _"Then tell me because I don't know...how do I say it?"_

 _"There's only one way I'd accept. If you ever loved me, say it like you're going to come back..."_

Nevermind. Romance may be inevitable even though it always has a way to avoid Cress.

With every channel came hugging, crying, kissing, kissing and crying, inappropriate scenes showing too much, and a constant loop of it all which annoyed Cress to the point where she was just becoming irritated. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't have a boyfriend and seeing all that fluff in the media makes her feel lonely.

She turns off the television and decides to call it a night.

-o-

 _"I think I've run out of saying goodbyes."_

 _"Why do you keep on saying goodbye?"_

"Bye!" Scarlet exclaims, turning off the television.

Wolf laughs to himself as Scarlet throws the remote onto the coffee table. She leans back into Wolf's comfy couch where he puts his arm around her. Now that the room is silent, all that can be heard is their breathing.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Scarlet asks him.

"I could think of something..." Wolf mutters.

He leans in to kiss her before getting interrupted by a knock on the door. Wolf huffs, getting up to go answer it. If only he could just ignore that but there's a chance the knocking will continue. He opens the door and keeps it open just enough for him to stick his upper body out. Wolf tried to formulate a sentence but his jaw has hit the welcome mat.

Seeing other members from other gangs makes him glad that he didn't keep them knocking. The thing about gangs is that even though there are many, most of them are actually one big group. Wolf's Pack was just a tiny fraction of an even bigger herd. Wolf is on his toes since he didn't expect to see them for several reasons and now they're at his front door with Scarlet inside. One of their dogs starts barking at Wolf who just stares at it.

"Easy!" Someone yells at the dog who immediately quiets down.

Wolf straightens up. "Hi."

"We know why you stayed with us in the first place and why you left," the one with the dog says. Wolf assumes that he's their leader. "Wolves take care of their alphas. And we'll always have your back because we'll always be there."

One of Wolf's hands hovers over his lower back where he has a small tattoo of a wolf howling up at the moon which signified their unity. He smiles as he shakes the chief's hand. Scarlet stands behind him even though he hasn't noticed yet, suddenly feeling uneasy about this. To her, Wolf left or is in the middle of leaving his gang life. She knows that it would be hard because he said so but why does it feel like he'll never truly be free from it?

Once Wolf closes the door, he locks it and takes a breath. He turns around and sees Scarlet's face. It's stern yet concerned and demanding for an explanation.

-o-

"Cress!"

Her eyes shoot open at the some of someone outside calling her name from outside. She looks over at her nightstand's clock and sees the time of 2:24 AM flashing in her face. Maybe it was a dream so she just decides to go back to sleep.

"Cress!"

Nope, not a dream. Definitely not a dream. Cress sits up in bed cautiously as her name is being called repeatedly in a hushed scream. Her first instinct is that it's a murderer but if it really was a killer, they could've climbed up and killed her in her sleep. That would've been easier for the both of them. Cress slowly goes over to her window and peeks through the curtains to see who it is. She stares at the person, taking in their face and then her jaw hits the floor.

It's Carswell Thorne.

Cress' eyes open extremely wide as she pinches herself to make sure she isn't dreaming. There is no way this is happening. Maybe it's all the sappy romance films she watched earlier affecting her dreams?

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," Thorne greets charmingly.

Cress has hearts in her eyes and can feel her cheeks getting redder by the second as she opens the window.

"What are you doing here?" Cress asks him, controlling the volume of her voice.

"I never thanked you for keeping me safe during the whole Wolf thing," Thorne replies.

Cress can feel her heart racing. "You're welcome. You know, you could've just texted me or told me during the day."

"You saved my life and now I want to do something for yours. That's my ideology. We're going on an adventure right now."

Those last words echo in her head. Is this a date? Does an adventure count as a date? Is she really escaping the night with Carswell Thorne? Cress' heart is already clinging onto him but her mind says no since it's the middle of the night and she's going to get in trouble by her dad. She looks down at Thorne and he already knows what her issue with leaving is.

"I'll have you back in time," Thorne says.

"Fine," Cress replies, sounding unamused even though she is so excited.

Cress' only option to get out of the house without getting caught is to climb out the window. She climbs on her windowsill and gets onto the drainpipe. She hears Thorne takes a few steps closer to where she's climbing down.

"Use your hair as a rope since it's so long," Thorne suggests. He may have been serious since Cress' hair goes down to her waist.

Cress laughs a little.

"If you jump, I'll catch you," Thorne says.

At that point, Cress really wants to leap into his arms. However, she safely shimmies down. Her nerves cause her to shake since she still doesn't believe this to be happening. _She's going somewhere in the middle of the night with Carswell Thorne._ Then, they make it to his car and get inside.

"So, what's your plan for this adventure?" Cress asks him.

Thorne shrugs. "Tell me something that you haven't done in life and we'll do it."

"That's a long list since I've really done nothing," Cress replies.

"I doubt that. Here, I'll list a few things - have you ever been to the beach?"

"Nope."

"Road trip?"

"Nope."

"Star-gazing?"

"Nope."

"Pulled an all-nighter?"

"Nope."

"Not even with all the video games you play?"

Cress tries not to blush at the fact that Thorne remembers her love for video games. "I pass out at some point."

"Huh...well, that sucks. You've had a boring life."

"It's because my dad's always busy and I don't see myself clicking with anyone."

"Where's your mom?"

"Just not around."

Thorne shifts awkwardly in his seat which is unlike him. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Cress shrugs. That really killed the mood in the car. Thorne turns on the engine and starts driving.

"Let's brighten up the mood with an adventure," Thorne says.

* * *

 **Anyone get any _Riverdale_ vibes from this chapter? With the whole Wolf gang showing up and Thorne calling Cress 'Sleeping Beauty'? (Yes, I know that Jughead called Betty 'Juliet' but Sleeping Beauty made more sense in that context and I genuinely hated Romeo and Juliet).**

 **I'll be honest, I have never watched the classic romance movies like Titanic so that's why it's not included. However, the media I did use for the beginning was _Endless Love_ , _The Fault in Our Stars_ , _A Walk to Remember_ , _Doctor Who_ , and one of the _High School Musical_ movies.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What adventure will Thorne and Cress embark on?**


	23. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Three

**OH MY GOD THIS CHAPTER IS LONG!**

 **I'm just going to put it out there on how I'm building (or have built) each of the romantic pairings so all of you can know in case you were wondering (which you probably weren't). I'm actually trying to take more or less the same amount of time that the series took for them to become canon. Hear me out on this:**

 **Kai and Cinder - they basically needed the whole series to happen.**

 **Wolf and Scarlet - they were practically together by the end of _Scarlet_.**

 **Cress and Thorne - the chemistry was there by the end of the first book.**

 **Winter and Jacin - I will eventually write how they got together in terms of this story. (*cough* Cinder's arc *cough*)**

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Three

The roads are nearly empty at this hour as Thorne drives through them at top speed. It's also silent, even for the two of them in the car. Cress keeps her gaze out the window as Thorne looks up ahead, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Quit pinching your wrist," Thorne tells her with a small smile on his face.

Cress' heart skips a beat as she hears that. For the duration of the car ride, Cress has been pinching her inner wrist because she still can't believe that Carswell Thorne showed up to her house in the middle of the night and is now taking her on an adventure. All of this still seems surreal to her no matter how many times Thorne actually told her that this is really happening.

"Here, let's listen to some music," Thorne says.

He turns on the radio and the loud music explodes since the volume was already at its max. Cress jumps in her seat as Thorne spins the dial to lower it to a more reasonable amount (which Cress still found to be loud since her rib cage is vibrating in her chest). Thorne starts bopping to the music and Cress turns to watch him, smiling a little.

"I love this song!" Thorne exclaims as he increases the volume. "Do you know this?"

Cress shakes her head.

"Don't lie, Cress, everyone knows this!"

"I don't!" Cress yells back although she doubts that Thorne heard her since her yelling isn't all that loud.

"We gonna party like it's 3012 tonight," Thorne sings along to the music. "I wanna show you all the finer things in life so just forget about the world, we're young tonight. I'm coming for ya, I'm coming for ya."

Thorne nudges the side of Cress's vibrating chest to sing along but she only shakes her head rapidly, still claiming to not know this song at all. Thorne shrugs playfully.

"Cause all I need is a beauty and a beat who can make my life complete," Thorne continues singing, holding that last note as he turns onto the freeway's exit. "It's all about you, when the music makes you move. Baby, do it like you do."

Thorne nudges her again, encouraging her to sing the next part since he knows that she knows this song. Cress sighs, throwing in the towel since she definitely knows this part of the song.

"In time, ink lines," Cress raps, "ladies couldn't get on my incline. World tours, it's mine, eleven little letters, on a big sign. Carswell Thorne, you know Imma hit 'em with the ether. Buns out, wiener, but I gotta keep an eye out for Fallow."

Thorne is chanting, clapping for Cress and her sudden talent in rapping. He definitely did not see that coming and to be honest, he finds it very attractive.

"Beauty, beauty and the beast," Cress continues rapping, "beauty from the east, beautiful confessions of the priest. Beast, beauty from the streets, we don't get deceased. Every time a beauty on the beats."

The song continues but nobody is singing anymore. Thorne is much too impressed by Cress' rapping and Cress is out of breath from all the rapping. In the spur of the moment, she didn't know the song but the moment she opened her mouth was when all the lyrics poured out of her.

"I'm liking 3 AM Cress," Thorne compliments.

"Really?" Cress questions anxiously. "She kinda scares me."

They both laugh a little as the song ends and another dance-worthy song starts playing. Both of them start shimmying their shoulders and mouthing the words only to build up to its climax.

"I-I-I wanna go-oh-oh all the way-ay-ay," Cress sings robotically on purpose. "Taking out my freak tonight. I-I-I wanna show-oh-oh all the dirt-irt-irt I got runnin' through my mind, woah."

"I-I-I wanna go-oh-oh all the way-ay-ay," Thorne sings the same way she did. "Taking out my freak tonight. I-I-I wanna show-oh-oh all the dirt-irt-irt I got runnin' through my mind, woah."

Both of them continue jamming to whatever song the radio played next. Thorne definitely makes a mental note that whenever he's bored and alone at home, he's definitely going to pick up Cress and take her for karaoke since she seems to be the best partner possible for it.

-o-

Thorne finally parks the car in an empty parking lot. He and Cress get out of the car and she nervously follows Thorne to the building they parked in front of. Her arms are crossed and she shivers, not only because of the night chill but because she still has no idea what she's going to be doing here with Thorne.

Then, she hears something and turns around.

"Thorne," Cress whispers to get his attention.

When Thorne doesn't respond, she taps his shoulder. Thorne turns around and Cress runs to hide behind him, peeking over his taller build. They both look at the approaching security guard doing his normal rounds.

"Hey, man!" Thorne exclaims, going over to the security guard who couldn't be more than a few years older than them.

Cress is dumbfounded at first as she watches Thorne and this security guard exchange a friendly handshake. For a moment, she thought that she and Thorne would be going to jail but now it looks as if they could all just go to a bar together. She continues watching the two of them chit-chat as the guard freely opens the door to let them inside the building. Thorne thanks him as he escorts Cress inside. She stays quiet until they get in the elevator and start heading up.

"How do you know him?" Cress asks.

"Friend of a family friend," Thorne replies.

Cress doesn't comment on how sketchy that sounds but as long as they don't end the adventure in jail then she's got nothing to complain about.

The two of them exit the elevator and Thorne leads them onto the roof. They're over a hundred stories above the ground and can see most if not all of Commonwealth which looks so much different than it does during the day.

Cress is breathless as she runs over to the edge of the roof, stopping herself at the ledge. She wanted to look at the night sky and examine each and every star but at the same time, she wanted to look straight ahead at the other buildings and see the array of windows with their lights either on or off in some odd pattern, or just look down and not feel small for once in her life.

Meanwhile, Thorne is hesitant on whether or not to hold her waist. He didn't want to look like he took her up here only to make some romantic moves on her but he also doesn't want her to fall over the edge to her death. Instead, he grabs her arm gently and pulls her a few steps back. Luckily, she obliges.

"This is beautiful," Cress comments.

"It is?" Thorne questions.

"The sky is so pale and luminous at this hour. And then behind this gentleness and peaceful night is this big orb of brightness called the moon." She points up to the sky. "That big crescent moon."

"Huh," Thorne says, looking up at the crescent moon. "Never thought of it all that way."

"There is just so much beyond the stars and beyond the crescent moon."

"Well, there is this thing called outer space."

"I was named Crescent because of the moon."

Thorne laughs a little. "Just think of it - Crescent Moon Darnel."

He looks at Cress, expecting her to laugh at that joke as well but her face is straight and non-responsive. That's when he realizes that he shouldn't have laughed.

"Wait, so your real name is Crescent Moon Darnel?"

Cress nods.

"That sounds like a fairytale."

She scoffs. "My name is no fairytale."

"Excuse me, but a Carswell is a freaking stream."

Cress laughs which makes Thorne laugh as well. Little did they know that a carswell is where the watercress grows. That would've made Cress squeal.

"But hey," Thorne says, "it's nice to have a name like Crescent Moon. Like you said, there is so much more beyond the crescent moon. For instance, I didn't know that you could rap."

Cress can feel herself blushing. She hopes that it's too dark for Thorne to notice. Lucky for her, she can see that Thorne's eyes are flecked with gold. It's beautiful and she's staring.

"It's a one-time thing," she jokes.

"Well, if you don't mind me then I'll continue to explore far beyond the crescent moon."

-o-

The rest of the night consisted of Thorne and Cress dancing and jamming out to whatever songs Thorne could blast on his phone with the occasional selfies once every song chorus. It was a small rooftop pajama party consisting of only the two of them and it was the most fun they both have had in a while. That is, until their party had to come to an abrupt end due to the time it currently was.

"It's 4:30 AM!" Cress exclaims.

"It's 4:30 AM!" Thorne chants, continuing to jump around.

"No, Thorne, our parents will get mad at us. We have to get home!"

Thorne stops jumping for a moment as he processes what Cress just said. If their parents wake up and see that they're not there, they will both be in extreme trouble when their parents see them again (that is, if they don't file a missing child's report). Thorne isn't worried about himself per say since he can totally handle his parents, he's worried for Cress' sake since her dad could be pretty intimidating when and if he wants to be.

They both get back in the building and ride the elevator back down to the main floor. Then, they both run outside and get in Thorne's car. Thorne starts driving at top speed back to Cress' house.

"We have a problem," Cress says to him.

"What is it?" Thorne asks. "I'm sure I can take care of it."

"I can't climb back into my window since I have no upper body strength."

"Can't you use your hair as a rope and climb back up."

"My hair isn't _that_ long and I just said I have no upper body strength."

Thorne hesitates, slightly cursing to himself. This is all his fault. He pulled Cress out of her room in the middle of the night and took her out here only to get them both in trouble. He's fine with getting himself in trouble since that's the norm for him, but he can't stand getting her in the doghouse.

"Call Cinder," Thorne says, pulling his phone out with one hand and passing it to Cress.

Cress browses through Thorne's contacts and eventually finds Cinder's number under the contact name _'Escape Buddy Cinder'._ As the call rings, Cress puts it on speaker and holds it close to Thorne.

 _Escape Buddy Cinder: What the hell do you want at 4 AM?_

"Hi, Cinder!" Thorne exclaims, definitely annoying Cinder even more with his loud voice (as though the call wasn't bad enough). "I need a quick favor."

 _Escape Buddy Cinder: No._

"Hear me out: I took Cress out in the middle of the night and I just need to get her back into her house through her bedroom window."

 _Escape Buddy Cinder: What am I supposed to do about that?_

"Wanna meet us at Cress' bedroom window with a ladder?"

Cinder hangs up.

Thorne is silent for a bit. "Some friend she is. Don't worry, I have a plan B."

For a moment, Cress thinks that Thorne has this completely under control. That is, until he takes an exit too early from her house and starts heading a different way.

* * *

 **Cinder is me as a friend.**

 **And I'm sorry-not-sorry for that Bieber/Minaj song ( _Beauty and a Beat_ ) in the beginning because it is a fun song that I love. Same goes for the second one ( _I Wanna Go_ ). Britney is a queen.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What is Thorne's plan B? Will Cress get in trouble? Will Cinder succumb to helping?**


	24. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Four

**I know it kinda looked like it for a while but don't expect weekly updates for this story. School and two other stories are actually killing me.**

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Four

Thorne and Cress stand beside each other as he knocks firmly on the door of the Blackburn mansion. The two of them wait on the doorstep, hoping that somebody would answer. Cress crosses her arms, shivering a little from the dawn's chilly breeze as Thorne hesitates on knocking again or even ringing the doorbell (which is probably what he should've done first).

"Nobody is going to open up at the hour," Cress says.

The door opens, shocking both of them. On the other side is a fully dressed Winter, smiling at the sight of them. Cress and Thorne are unsure of whether to bid her a good morning or ask her why she's awake or if they can come in.

"Good morning!" Winter exclaims, sending Cress and Thorne aback by this burst of unexpected energy. "Come on in!"

Winter opens the door wider for the two of them to enter. They both wonder why Winter is even awake an already pumped for the day energy wise. Thorne closes the front door before he and Thorne follow Winter up the stairs.

"We should've called her to bring a ladder," Cress whispers to Thorne.

He laughs a little as they all reach the top level. The three of them see Levana exit the bathroom, already looking dressed and professional for the workday. Thorne and Cress mutter a series of good mornings along with compliments for the house. Levana responds with a pleasant gaze and a small nod, making Thorne and Cress feel super awkward. She probably meant it all in a good way and maybe they would've gotten that notion if she didn't look so intimidating.

"I'll call your parents and let them know that you two stepped out early and are with my girls," Levana says to them, pulling out her cell phone.

"You're not going to ask why we're here?" Thorne questions.

"Not at all."

Levana leaves, dialing a number. Thorne and Cress look at each other before looking at Winter who gives them a much more friendly smile on Levana's behalf. Though it was pleasant, it only makes Thorne and Cress realize that Winter hasn't even asked them why they were knocking at four-almost-five AM, she just let them in.

"How does Levana even know us?" Cress asks.

"Probably through our parents," Thorne guesses. "Still, it's nice of Levana to do the lying for me."

Winter smirks. "Levana just needs a polite reason not to have to talk to you and be a friendly host."

Thorne and Cress are silent. Winter used their quietness to her advantage and decided to gives Thorne and Cress a house tour of the upstairs. The two of them didn't interrupt or ask why she was doing this.

"Wait, Winter," Thorne politely interrupts. He points at a door Winter already explained. "Cinder's still asleep, right?"

The moment Winter nods, Thorne enters Cinder's room. Winter and Cress follow. Thorne approaches Cinder's bed and sees her sleeping in a mess of tangled bedsheets and uncombed hair. He kneels on her bed and shimmies over to where Cinder is. Thorne puts his hands on her shoulders.

"Cinder!" Thorne yells, shaking her awake.

Cinder screams as she pushes Thorne to the floor. He laughs from down there until Cinder throws her bedsheets and pillows on top of him to hopefully suffocate him. She groans in frustration and fatigue as she looks at Cress and Winter with Thorne digging himself out in the background. He eventually gets up even though his feet are still tangled in Cinder's sheets.

"How the hell did you get in here?!" Cinder yells at him.

Thorne brushes himself off. "Winter let us in."

Cinder looks over at Winter who smiles sweetly while rocking back and forth on her toes. Cress peeks over from behind Winter and gives Cinder a small wave.

"Morning to you too, sunshine," Thorne says to her.

"We're not friends anymore," Cinder tells him (not actually meaning it - or so he hopes). "Go make my bed."

Cinder gets up out of bed. She takes Cress's hand and takes her out of the bedroom with Winter following, leaving Thorne in Cinder's room to fix her bed. The girls enter Winter's room which is not only filled with everything pastel but has an aromatic hint of frankincense thanks to an essential oil diffuser on top of her dresser.

"You're closer to Winter's size so we'll just use her school uniform," Cinder says.

Winter opens her closet and it is organized in many ways: by season, color, type of clothing, accessories, jackets, shoes, and so much more. Cinder and Cress are not only smacked in the faces by order but by all the floral prints.

"It's like the mall blew up in here," Cress says.

Cinder scoffs. "Or the florist. It's basically a garden. Everything this girl owns has a damn flower on it."

They look at Winter who smiles proudly as she pulls out a set of uniform for Cress to borrow. In reference to Cress' backpack and school supplies, the girls agreed that Thorne will take care of all that. He was the one who brought her out here so he should be the one to handle all this.

After they all finish getting ready, they go back downstairs to Thorne who has helped himself to some bagels in their kitchen. At least, that's what they assume since they doubt Levana offered him anything. Thorne swallows the rest of his bagel and walks out to meet them.

"How about I give you girls a ride to school?" Thorne offers.

"Yes," Cress says giddily.

"No," Cinder says uninterestedly.

"Yes," Winter says excitedly.

"Yes," Thorne says only to persuade Cinder.

"Please, Cinder," Winter begs, tugging on her arm.

Cinder rolls her eyes, acknowledging that she's out-numbered 3-to-1.

"Fine," Cinder states, "but it's literally 5:30 AM."

"We gotta drive to my place and then we'll just grab breakfast somewhere," Thorne says.

-o-

Thorne parks outside of his house and runs inside the house to get dressed, leaving Cinder, Cress, and Winter in the car. He wasn't going to borrow a set of uniform from Winter since he wasn't allowed to show up in a skirt (even though he believes that his legs could totally pull it off). They know it's going to take a bit longer since not only does Thorne care about what he looks like, his parents might scold him.

As they wait, Cress taps her finger against her bare leg until she looks in the rearview mirror of the passenger seat to see both Winter and Cinder staring at her with piercing eyes. Cress shakes her head a little. Not only were the Blackburn girls beautiful but they were intimidating just like Levana but in a much more charming way.

"What is it?" Cress asks them cautiously.

"What were you doing out with Carswell Thorne all night?" Cinder interrogates.

"He wanted to take me on an adventure," Cress replies innocently.

Winter claps her hands together. "See, Cress, confidence is key."

Cress shrugs. "I guess."

"What did you do?"

"Star-gazing."

Winter coos, being a complete sucker for romance and a night of star-gazing just sounds like a happily ever after. Cress blushes and Cinder rolls her eyes. Thorne walks in the car, now wearing his uniform and throwing his backpack in the backseat with Winter and Cinder.

"Talking about me?" Thorne questions, buckling up.

"Always!" Cinder exclaims sarcastically.

"I'm just excited that I get to drive three hot girls to school."

Winter laughs a little, Cinder hesitates on jumping out of the car, and Cress smiles at the fact that Thorne called her hot since she is sitting nearby two of the most beautiful girls she has ever seen.

-o-

Once they arrive at school after picking up breakfast at a bakery, Cinder exits the car before Thorne even parked it. Thorne sighs happily, proud that he managed to piss of Cinder so early.

"Who knew Cinder loved to learn," Thorne says sarcastically as he watches her run to school just to get away from him.

Winter laughs a little. "Thank you, Thorne!"

Winter skips out of the car. He smirks watching her go before looking at Cress who's smiling lightly at him.

"Thank you, Thorne," she says, "for everything. It made my day - or night - depending on how you see it."

Cress tries to get out of the car but Thorne has locked her in. She looks at him and he's unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face her.

"I'm not done with you yet," Thorne states.

Cress is confused, waiting for an explanation.

"Now, you have to thank me with a grand gesture," Thorne says.

Cress frowns. "Wait, so you did all that just so I'll have a debt with you?"

"And now I sound like a dick. But no, Crescent Moon, I'm not. You told me yourself that you've had a boring life and so you may thank me by allowing me to continue to take you on some spontaneous adventures."

Cress scoffs. " _Spontaneous adventures_? Spontaneous is just another word for random and random does not equal fun."

"True but random does equal memorable."

Cress is over the moon happy at that idea. She can't help but think that Carswell Thorne _wants_ to spend more time with her.

"Was last night a date?" She blurts out, instantly covering her mouth and feeling her entire face turn hot and red.

Thorne laughs wholeheartedly. "If you want it could be."

Cress can't believe that she just had her first date and it was with Carswell Thorne.

-o-

At the end of the school day, Thorne walks through his house and says hello to the family maid as the family dog jumps up to greet him. The maid tells him the dinner plans and he doesn't ask if his parents are around since he really doesn't care. His parents could be on Jupiter for all he cares. He goes up to his room and throws his bag on the floor. Thorne changes out of his uniform and into some more comfortable clothes - sweatpants and no shirt. He looks down and sees that his phone has a text.

 _Little Crescent Moon: My dad's going to be off on business again for a week._

That statement alone makes Thorne so happy for that and immediately takes his phone to answer right away. The possible adventures to take Cress on are running through his head and there is a lot.

 _Thorne: Nice!_

He has no idea why he said something that naturally sounds so sarcastic over text with an exclamation point. Why does he suddenly feel like he doesn't know what to say?

 _Thorne: So..._

 _Little Crescent Moon: So..._

 _Thorne: What kind of adventure do you want?_

 _Little Crescent Moon: I thought you said these were going to be 'spontaneous' adventures?_

 _Thorne: There are just so many options. Like you said, there is so much beyond the crescent moon._

 _Little Crescent Moon: Surprise me._

Thorne finds himself grinning. He likes the sound of a challenge which involved giving Cress the spontaneous adventures of her life. All he has to think about is where to start...

* * *

 **My Cresswell heart is just bursting with love and fluff right now.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What will Cress and Thorne's adventures consist of? And how are the other couples doing?**


	25. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Five

**Don't worry everyone, we will get back to the Kaider and Wolflet fluff along with Cresswell. They're all here.**

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Five

"This isn't a good idea," Cress says.

"No, it's really not," Thorne agrees.

"Start small," she instructs, "my hair is my safety blanket. I just want a little trim but salons are too expensive."

The first spontaneous adventure that Thorne suggested was to give Cress a haircut. She was reluctant at first since she's had long hair for as long as she can remember. Ironically, that was the reason that further convinced her to cut it. Sure, Cress was nervous about getting her first haircut in years but what scared her more was that Thorne said he would cut her hair by himself at her house. Thorne knew nothing about hairdressing so she was hoping that he wouldn't screw anything up or cut her flesh by accident.

Thorne holds the lock of hair in between his two fingers and is about to snip.

"To the start of a new era," Thorne says, raising the hair as if he was raising a glass to toast.

Cress holds her breath and squinting her eyes shut as her body clenches, waiting for that first cut which really indicates that there is no turning back from this.

"Wait," Thorne lets go of her hair, "so your seemingly over-protective dad will leave you home alone for a week?"

"He knows that I'm not gonna do anything," Cress reasons.

"Including a haircut."

"And spontaneous adventures."

Thorne grins at the mention of that again. "How much do you want me to cut?"

"Just the ends."

"Alrighty."

Thorne grabs a chunk of her hair in a ponytail and cuts it at her shoulders. Cress screams as locks of her hair fall from her head to the floor. Thorne places the scissors on the counter as steps back as if Cress' horrified expression isn't there.

"You couldn't even cut straight across!" Cress exclaims.

"Oops, now I gotta even it out," Thorne says.

Thorne grabs more of Cress' hair in an attempt to even out her hair. In reality, he was just making it shorter on purpose.

"It's uneven!" Cress yells.

"It's edgy!" Thorne argues.

"Thorne!"

"Cress!"

The screaming and hair cutting stop when Cress takes a look at her new hairdo in the mirror. It was still uneven but aside from that, her hair that was formally down to her waist was now just below her ears. Cress takes a deep breath as she turns around to see Thorne with a giant smirk on his face. She opens her mouth to say something but is silenced by Thorne putting her head in his hands. He tilts it around as if he was examining her.

"I can finally see your face," Thorne comments.

Cress takes another deep breath, resisting the urge to blush. "This feels liberating."

-o-

Scarlet and Wolf sit in the mall's food court, on opposite ends of the table. Ever since that night at Wolf's house, Scarlet and Wolf have had this noticeable tension between the two of them that consisted of Scarlet giving Wolf a one-raised eyebrow glare that screams _'we need to talk'_ , and Wolf obviously pretending to not notice.

That has all been going on for far too long.

"Why did your _'former'_ gang show up at your house?" Scarlet finally asks.

Wolf groans. "Scarlet - "

"I thought you said that you were done with this whole _'gang'_ life."

"I am, it's just that - "

"And now you're saying that you're forever loyal to them because of a damn tattoo?!"

"Don't yell," Wolf says as bypassing people begin to stare.

"Do not tell me not to scream!"

Suddenly, all eyes are looking at them and Scarlet's only looking at Wolf. When everyone else sees that nothing bad is happening, they continue going their own ways. Wolf puts a hand to his forehead and Scarlet sits back an crosses her arms at him.

"Are you still a gang member or not?" Scarlet asks, quieter this time.

"I'm not," Wolf says.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I'll only be loyal to you."

"Then, where's my tattoo?"

Wolf rolls his eyes, making Scarlet smirk a little. That's when Wolf smiles a bit as he sits forwards and rests his elbows on the table.

"Scarlet, please, can we not talk about this," Wolf begs.

"Fine," Scarlet says, cooling down a bit. "You know, I'm your girlfriend even though we haven't even gone on one date."

"Exactly. I must be doing something right then."

Wolf winks at her and this time, Scarlet rolls eyes. As they continue chatting lightly, Kai approaches their table and sits on the other side of the table but in-between them. Scarlet and Wolf stare at him.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that three's a crowd?" Scarlet questions, hoping that Kai gets the hint.

"Yeah," Kai says, "so goodbye Scarlet."

Scarlet narrows her eyes at Kai as Wolf holds back his laughter. She stands up and steps outside the table, only leaving for two reasons: one, she can only assume that Kai is here to talk to Wolf about guy things and two, she appreciates Kai's wit.

"I may be leaving but we're not done talking about this," Scarlet says to Wolf before she walks off.

The boys watch Scarlet leave and once she's gone, Wolf finally relaxes in his seat.

"Thank the Stars you came," Wolf says to Kai gratefully. "Why are you even here?"

"I came to ask about Cinder since I need some help with her," Kai replies.

"I don't think I've even said one word to Cinder at all. Just because we're Lunars doesn't mean we're tight."

"I just admire the fact that you got Scarlet so quickly."

Wolf smiles proudly of himself for a bit. "I'm seriously hoping it stays that way."

-o-

At the Blackburn mansion, Cinder sits in her bedroom desk with her computer on for the purpose of a video call. On the screen is her best friend Iko who's all the way in Artemisia, Luna. Cinder sits casually in her chair with one leg propped up on her desk and the other up against her chest in the chair, all while Iko is slumped in her chair playing with a braided blue strand of her dark hair.

 _Iko: I hope you and Winter got your housewarming gifts in the mail._

"I waited until now to open it, unlike Winter who squealed at the scent of her sour apple candies," Cinder replies.

Cinder reaches behind the computer to get the package Iko sent them. She rips open the colorful wrapping paper to reveal a box. Cinder opens the box and can see Iko biting down on her grinning lips as she spins around in her chair to contain her excitement. Cinder discards the multi-colored packing peanuts and pulls out a bone-shaped yard sign that says _'Beware of Dog'._ Cinder gives the sign the strangest look ever as she can hear Iko's simmering laugh.

"Iko, we don't have a dog nor are we ever gonna get one," Cinder says as she puts the sign back in the box.

 _Iko: That's in reference for Levana. She could be a real bitch._

Cinder laughs and Iko laughs louder. Suddenly, Kai walks into Cinder's bedroom. Cinder jumps a little, her leg that was propped on the desk kicking over her laptop which results in Iko screaming from the other end. Cinder gets up out of her chair and approaches Kai, ignoring Iko screaming on the other side.

"What the hell?!" Cinder yells at him.

"Winter let me in," Kai explains.

Cinder groans in annoyance. "Winter! Stop letting people in my room!"

Cinder storms out of the room and Kai is left there. He continues to hear the screaming coming from the computer so he stands it back up and sees Iko. At the sight of Kai, Iko rolls back in her chair, staring in complete shock at the hot boy who seemed to break into Cinder's room.

"Hello there," Kai grins. "You must be Iko."

Iko grins, twirling that strand of hair she was playing with earlier.

 _Iko: I am. And you must be Kai._

"I am," Kai replies.

 _Iko: You look very different in your selfies than you do in real life - or at least this version of real life._

Iko gestures to the fact that they're seeing each other over video chat and not actually seeing one another in real life. Kai is unsure of whether or not that's a compliment or not but judging by Iko's winking, it's more than a compliment.

-o-

Thorne and Cress walk through the city streets. Cress' newly chopped locks are tickling her face as the breeze make the ends brush against her face. She and Thorne have just stepped out of the parlor in order to even out the cute mess Thorne created. The two of them are just deciding what to do next in terms of spontaneous adventures.

"Now that I can see your ears, let's get your ears pierced!" Thorne suggests.

At the sound of that, Cress lights up with excitement which Thorne loves to see, but then it dies down and Cress looks to the ground. Thorne suddenly hates himself for coming up with a seemingly-horrible idea.

"Oh no, what is it?" Thorne asks. "Fear of needles? Taboo against piercings?"

"No, no, Thorne," Cress replies. "I have always wanted to get my ears pierced but that's more of a mother-daughter thing."

Thorne nods, understanding that Cress's mother isn't around for reasons she never disclosed to him yet. However, an absent mother wasn't going to get in the way of Cress' and her future earrings. Thorne has another plan.

* * *

 **Iko is me. And guys, Iko will actually be in the story as more than just video chat (*cough* Cinder's arc *cough*).**

 **Let's be real, Wolf's advice to Kai was probably something along the lines of "just show up at her house" because he did that to Scarlet in his arc.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What will Thorne's idea be this time around? Will Wolf ever be 100% gone from the gang life? And how will Kai make his moves on Cinder?**


	26. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Six

**I literally feel like dying due to everyone around me being sick and updating this story makes me happy so here you all go.**

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Six

"I was thinking..." Throne starts, looking at the girls sitting across from him at the table.

Cinder, Scarlet, and Winter all look at Thorne, already disliking whatever plan he might have in mind. Scarlet, having known Thorne the longest out of the girls, knows that it's probably some stupid plan that they'll end up taking the blame for once Thorne gets in trouble and runs away from it.

"If I end up going to jail..." Scarlet mutters, gritting her teeth.

"No, no," Thorne says, using his hands to emphasize his point. "I wanted to take Cress to get her ears pierced but she says that it's a mother/daughter thing to do and I don't want to intrude on that. Since Cress' mother isn't around for whatever reason, I kinda want you three to take her."

Taken aback by this gentle and non-criminalistic demand, the girls look at each other. Their expressions are all soft, sympathizing with Cress' feelings and Thorne's request.

"Dude, all our moms are gone as well," Scarlet bluntly admits. "All when we were young."

Thorne is speechless. He didn't put that characteristic about the girls set before him all not having their mothers for the majority of their lives. None of them have had that mother/daughter moment either despite Winter and Scarlet having pierced ears and not Cinder because of her own personal preference.

"Unless Levana counts," Winter says.

"Levana never counts," Cinder responds quickly.

"Then just have a damn girls day!" Thorne exclaims at them, proud for having come up with that idea himself and in such short time as well. "Yeah, a girls day. Bond over your departed mothers and fill that empty void in your hearts with each other."

Almost immediately, Cinder, Scarlet, and Winter cringe altogether. It's not because of the idea of hanging out with Cress but because of what Thorne said about them basically being the others' absent mom. Thorne realizes that seconds later.

"Do you even think about what you say before you say it?" Cinder asks him.

"My philosophy is that I think about my actions and words after I do them and only if I got something good out of it," Thorne responds.

"So, never?" Winter guesses. Scarlet and Cinder hold back their laughter.

"A better word would be rarely."

-o-

The next day, Thorne's plan went into action. Cress was at the mall with Cinder, Scarlet, and Winter with the goal of the day being Cress getting her ears pierced. After about an hour of the girls obsessing over Cress' new haircut and Cress being modest about the compliments, they finally started heading over to the piercing shop.

"Are you and Thorne going to date?" Winter asks Cress, linking arms with her.

"Uh..." Cress hesitates, having trouble holding back her blushing. To hide that, she starts following Winter's skipping pace and decides to use her out-of-shape excuse for her red face.

"Winter," Cinder scolds, "you can't just ask her that."

"Besides," Scarlet adds, "we all know the answer to that."

Winter lights up. "Oh, right..."

The three of them grin at one another, raising their eyebrows and using several subtle facial expressions to communicate without words. Cress stares at them oddly since she doesn't even know the answer.

"Why don't we talk about _your_ relationships?" Cress says, turning the spotlight on the other girls.

"Jacin and I are going great!" Winter exclaims. "We write letters since Andromeda Academy is strict on Internet/cellular use, has a three hour time difference between Luna and The Earthen Union, and there's bad service there. Next."

Cress and Winter look at Cinder and Scarlet to have them start talking about their relationships. Cinder and Scarlet turn to one another in hopes that the other starts talking. Neither of them do.

"Wolf told me Kai spoke to him about you," Scarlet says.

"Of course he did," Cinder says with an eye roll. "Does that mean you and Wolf are on good terms with one another despite the whole gang issue?"

"Don't turn this on my relationship, Cinder. Wolf and I may have tension but it's only until he makes a choice."

"I think he chose you a long time ago," Cress pipes in.

Scarlet pauses, smirking a little. Then, she shakes her head to forget about that vital point.

"Still," Scarlet says, "Cinder, what's up with you and Kai?"

"Nothing," Cinder flatly responds.

"Nothing _yet_ ," Winter sings happily. "Jacin was the same."

"No, he wasn't!" Cinder argues. "Jacin doesn't even have emotions, unlike Kai!"

"Aha!" Winter exclaims, pointing right at Cinder. "You admitted that Kai has feelings for you!"

"No, I didn't! I just acknowledged that Kai has emotions. Period."

"Oh, look!" Cress exclaims, pointing ahead. "The parlor!"

In all honesty, Cress just didn't want to talk about whatever kind of relationship she had with Thorne if the tables turned back to her. However, it was focused on Cinder and Kai and Cress figured that she needed saving. And judging from the fact that Cinder sprinted straight into the parlor, she was gracious for the rescue. The other girls run inside and thankfully for Cinder, the focus went back to Cress and her earrings.

"I'm nervous," Cress says, slightly shaking.

"They could do both ears at the same time," Winter says, lightly pinching Cress' earlobes. Cress jumps a little.

"You're making her more nervous," Cinder says, holding Cress' shoulders from behind.

"I'm just saying," Winter says. "She won't have to feel the same pain twice."

"Pain?!" Cress exclaims.

"Trust me, Cress," Scarlet says reassuringly. "It won't hurt all that much. Just think about that thrill back when you and Wolf were ripping through the streets. Think about how brave and badass you were back then."

Cress nods. "I was a badass back then."

"And you can be one now."

Cress smiles, having faith she can do this. What helps her keep her courage is ignoring all the babies getting their ears pierced and not even flinching when the earring is inserted.

"I will buy you some nice earrings," Winter prompts, already choosing a few pairs.

"Me too," Cinder says, just picking the first pair she sees.

"Same!" Scarlet adds.

"Thorne promised me a pair as well," Cress says bashfully.

"The more earrings the merrier!" Winter cheers.

-o-

Meanwhile, at the other side of the mall, Wolf walks out of a clothing store having bought nothing. He looks ahead and sees Thorne approaching him. At first, Wolf thinks that Thorne would go into the store to actually go shopping but to his surprise, Thorne stops right in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Wolf asks him.

"I have nobody to hang out with, Thorne admits.

"Sucks for you."

Wolf walks away. He looks over his shoulder to see Thorne following him. If this happened a long time ago, Wolf would've scared Thorne away or chased him off but right now, he doesn't _fully_ hate Thorne so he just lets him stay. That and like Thorne, Wolf doesn't really have anyone else to spend his time with so he might as well spend it with Thorne.

"Hey," Thorne says, "now that you're supposedly _'done'_ being a gang dude, are you going to get a real job?"

Wolf narrows his eyes. "Hey, being in a gang was a full-time job!"

"Job or lifestyle?"

Forget what Wolf felt seconds ago, now he wants to chase Thorne off a cliff. The only thing that stopped him was the appearance of Kai.

"Is this about Cinder?" Wolf asks.

"Yup," Kai responds.

"Why?" Thorne questions.

"Kai likes Cinder," Wolf replies.

Thorne cringes. "Really? _Cinder?_ Don't get me wrong, she's pretty and very cool but I always thought you'd go after Winter if she wasn't already taken."

"Same," Wolf agrees.

Kai rolls his eyes.

"I can help too," Thorne says. "I'm an expert in all-things women."

Wolf scoffs. "Kate would say different."

Kai nods in agreement. Thorne takes an annoyed breath as Kai and Wolf laugh at him and his reaction at the mention of his ex-girlfriend.

"Kate became a ditzy airhead who I'm actually happy not to be dating anymore," Thorne states. "I think I like someone else."

 _"Think?"_ Wolf questions. "Dude, Cress actually likes you."

Thorne, for once, says nothing. He just grins at the idea that Cress likes him and embraces the type of happiness currently flowing in his veins.

"Be careful with Cress," Wolf says to him. "She may be fragile but at the same time, she isn't. Cress can be a badass when she least expects it."

"Let's be real for a second - Cress is also that person you'd wrap in bubble wrap and put a _'handle with care'_ sticker on her forehead," Kai says.

"Relax, Wolf, Kai," Thorne nags, "I know Cress can be a badass at times. I like Cress because her eyes are so full of hope and wonder when she sees and experiences something new. Nobody has that look anymore. And she likes me more than I like myself which is saying a lot."

Wolf and Kai roll their eyes. For a moment, they thought that Thorne was going to say something that didn't relate to himself but that was only wishful thinking.

* * *

 **I agree with Winter about having lots of earrings. I literally have over 200 pairs.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- all the romantic relationships will be taking a turn.**


	27. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Seven

**You have no idea how much I love all of you. And because of all the love I get from you all, I will tell you this: no, I am not giving up on this story and I never will. So far, I planned that every character will get two arcs named after them and that's literally 160 chapters so I still have a long and fun way to go. In terms of planning, however, I'm literally stuck on chapter 62.**

 **Still, each arc comes with a new adventure that I can't wait to write.**

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Seven

Cress walks as if her feet are made of clouds. The amount of joy and euphoria currently surging through her veins is enough to keep her uplifted. At first, getting her ears pierced hurt the moment the hole was made in her first ear, but seeing the result in the mirror made her realize that one earring was the best type of pain ever. That's what motivated her for the second ear so she didn't feel it at all. The effect still hasn't worn off and she never wants it to.

"Found them," Cinder says.

Cinder points over to the food court where she sees Thorne, Wolf, and Kai sitting there. Cress immediately runs over and nudges Thorne when she approaches him, almost pushing him off his feet. The other girls eventually arrive in pursuit. Thorne looks at Cress in amazement as she bops up and down on her toes.

"Thank you!" Cress exclaims at him. She turns around to the girls. "Thank you three as well!"

Thorne stands up and cups Cress' face in his hands to take a look at her piercings, brushing back her short locks with his thumbs. He smirks as he gently pinches the edges of her earlobes.

"Crescent Moon got crescent moon earrings," Thorne states. "That is genius."

"I can't stop smiling, Thorne!" Cress exclaims. "I love earrings and short hair so much! Thank you. Again."

"Seeing you glow is a 'thanks' enough."

Scarlet watches this little interaction between Cress and Thorne and smiles. She wishes that her relationship had this thrill and youthful euphoria to it instead of the tension it was currently going through. Despite her and Wolf always being by each other's sides, the unspoken was inevitably there.

"Never in my life did I think you would be smiling involuntary towards Thorne," Wolf whispers to Scarlet, pulling her closer to him.

Scarlet turns to him, his face mere centimeters from hers. "I could say the same for you."

"There's a first time for everything."

The two of them smile at one another. This was basically their relationship right now: look like everything is okay when it's kind of not. And everyone knew it but that didn't really change anything.

"Aren't you both cute?" They hear Winter say. "Just the cutest things I have ever seen!"

For a moment, Scarlet and Wolf think that Winter is talking about them or even about Cress and Thorne. When they look over at Winter to thank her, they bite their tongues. Winter is crouched over a baby stroller, admiring and speaking about the twin babies in there.

"Cinder," Kai states. "I'm going to be straightforward when asking this since Wolf and Thorne's advice was crap."

"Hey!" Wolf and Thorne exclaim, offended.

"Showing up uninvited was wonderful advice," Wolf argues.

"Yeah!" Thorne adds. "It just failed for you."

Kai rolls his eyes. "Anyways, Cinder, will you go out with me?"

Cinder is silent for a second as all eyes turn to her, waiting in anticipation for an answer. Her face suddenly breaks into the happiest smile similar to Cress's post-piercing. Everyone is weirded out by this reaction since they have never really seen Cinder smile that big.

"Yes!" Cinder exclaims a little too loud.

-o-

Cinder walks back and forth in her room, feeling way more fidgety than usual. Her heart was racing and her hands are jittery. Her current behaviour was strange but not to thenpoint where Levana would ask her what's wrong (although for that to happen, it woud have to be a global catastrophe). It all had to do with the fact that Kai asked her out on a date.

 _Iko: Cinder!_

Cinder screams as she looks at her laptop, unaware that she started a video chat with Iko. She must have accepted the call while touching everything and not thinking about what it is she was touching.

"Iko, hi," Cinder says, taking a seat in front of her computer. "How are you?"

Iko blinks.

 _Iko: How am_ I? _Me? Cinder, I should be asking you that._

"Oh..." Cinder mutters. "I'm fine..."

 _Iko: Your voice cracked._

"It did?" Cinder asks. It totally did the first time and it did again. Both of which Cinder noticed.

Iko rolls her eyes, knowing that Cinder isn't going to cave into confessing.

 _Iko: Whatever. Winter and I are picking your outfit for your date with that cute son of Commonwealth's mayor since you have the fashion sense of a garbage bag._

Cinder blinks. "How do you even know about the date? I didn't tell you yet."

 _Iko: Winter._

Cinder rolls her eyes. "Winter!"

 _Iko: So, where are you going? What are the plans? Give me the deets!_

"Settle down, Iko."

 _Iko: Settle down?! Hell no, girl, I already told everyone here._

Cinder sighs with a small laugh. That, she definitely saw coming.

-o-

Cress lies in her bed. She turns over to look at the time and the florescent numbers on her alarm clock say that it's barely past midnight. Cress sits up in her bed, still feeling the adrenaline from the day she just had. No amount of caffeine could ever pump her up like this. She gets out of bed and puts a sweatshirt over her pajamas as she pulls out her phone.

 _Cress: Up for an adventure?_

She waits for a few minutes. Cress really hopes that he isn't asleep. Would it be weird for her to show up at his house uninvited? He did so for her and it was fine, so why shouldn't she do the same? (Also, Wolf showed up at Scarlet's house uninvited and look how happy they are together if the tension is ignored).

Her phone beeps moments later.

 _Captain Thorne: Always._

 _Cress: Come by._

 _Captain Thorne: You got a bicycle?_

 _Cress: Yeah._

 _Cress: Why?_

 _Captain Thorne: Biking is fun._

 _Captain Thorne: Especially in a forest._

 _Cress: Let's do it._

 _Captain Thorne: I'll be there in 10._

Thorne shows up on his bicycle and Cress goes out to meet him. She pulls out her bicycle from the garage and hops on it. She follows Thorne and every swerve he makes on the empty road just to feel the thrill of no cars driving around at this hour. If this was how their adventure was going to start, then it was going to be one hell of a journey of pure amusement.

"Any ideas for the forest?" Cress asks him.

"Not really," Thorne replies.

"Perfect."

* * *

 **Kaider's becoming a thing! Cress and Thorne are going on an adventure!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Cress and Thorne will go on an adventure that they will never forget.**


	28. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Eight

**In regards to my beginning author's note from the last chapter, I lied about one thing. There will probably be 170 chapters instead of 160. I'm such trash for this story that I'm putting a bonus arc**.

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Eight

Cress and Thorne bike around until they end up in a forest that was bordering a recreational park, both of which were empty since it was the middle of the night. There was no wind at the moment, making it so much more silent and scarier than it actually was. Cress and Thorne are currently running on pure adrenaline, making them park their bikes and step off just to look at the adventure set before them. That expains why they haven't felt one swoop of fatigue yet.

"I want to go exploring in there," Cress says.

"For someone who has never had fun, you sure know how to have it," Thorne comments.

They leave their bikes by one of the bordering trees and start their walk inside. The path is narrow so Cress has to walk in front of Thorne, but he's so close behind that Cress can almost feel even Thorne's smallest movements like his breathing. Sometimes the front of his shoes hit the back of hers, but neither of them notices because they're both looking upwards at all the mystic that surrounds them.

A canopy of trees tower above thick ferns, vines trail down in tangles that act as a blanket for spiderwebs. There are endless menacing and twisted branches. Some of them are still alive and carry leaves and birds nests or some are dead and decayed on the dry ground at their feet.

"This scenery is wonderful," Cress comments.

"There's nothing quite like Mother Nature to make you feel better."

"Earth is beautiful. Although it's big and scary and full of so many unknown possibilities, I'm ready for it, ready to see it all."

Thorne stops walking for a second just to watch Cress walk ahead. He admires that look of wonder that comes with her steps. Her head constantly moves, trying to get a good look at everything even though it's not going anywhere. Before he loses sight of her, Thorne starts catching up. His footsteps follow the beat of his heart which will lead back to her.

-o-

After losing track of time, Thorne and Cress decide to head back to their bikes. However, when they turn around, the narrow path they the thought they were on has disappeared (which is what they should've noticed the moment they started walking beside one another) and every single tree looks the same. Thorne and Cress meet each other's eyes and know what's happening: they're lost in the middle of the dark forest.

"We're lost!" Cress exclaims, stepping away from Thorne just so she can panic. "You got us lost!"

"I did not!" Thorne replies. "You did!"

It was nobody's fault. Their gut reaction was telling them to blame one another since the human condition is to not admit to fault when someone else could be blamed.

Cress starts shivering, crossing her arms just so she can rub them. Thorne paces, running a hand up and down the back of his neck as he thinks of a plan.

Nothing comes to mind.

The wind picks up and Cress almost falls over. She stands up straight and faces Thorne, shivering more.

"H-how long do you t-think we'll live for?" She asks, her jaw chattering

"That depends," Thorne responds. "What's your will to survive?"

-o-

Their best solution was to stay close and continue walking straight ahead. The current plan at play was to find some form of civilization, even if they end up on the other side of town. From there, they can figure out how to get back home even though they have no cell phones or cash on them.

"What if a bear pops out?" Cress suddenly asks.

"We're in Commonwealth, Cress," Thorne replies, "there are no bears...the worse there is are coyotes."

Cress looks at him horrified. Thorne laughs a little, despite it not being funny even though it was true. He only said it just to lighten the mood in the darkness. Thorne looks down and sees something moving underneath a pile of tree branches.

"What is that?" Thorne asks, pointing right at it. "A snake?"

Cress screams without even looking at it.

"Let me out of this snake-infested forest!" She yells.

Cress sprints ahead. Thorne takes a second to laugh at his second joke of the night, but seeing as it might actually be a snake, he makes a run for it as well. Once Thorne catches up to Cress, he sees her sitting down with her back against a tree and her head slumped between her knees. She looks defeated and Thorne can't bear to look at her feeling guilty. Yes, it was her idea to go on this _specific_ adventure but the concept of adventures, in general, started with him.

He doesn't want them to die in this forest. Thorne won't allow it even if Cress looks like she will willingly sacrifice herself to nature.

"We have to hunt for food," Thorne states.

Cress can't tell if he's being serious or not. She thinks the former since he picks up a stick and stabs it into the ground. Thorne looks up, exuding that primal survivor vibe which makes Cress' heart flutter.

"Hunting is inhumane," Cress points out.

"Are you vegan?"

She scoffs. "Of course not."

Cress then looks down, her head returns to the middle of her knees. She softly cries, wishing she had her safety blanket of long hair with her so she could cocoon herself in it for safety. Thorne lightly grasps her arms and pulls her up.

"Don't cry, Cress," Thorne tells her, "it's dehydrating."

He holds her arm with one hand and holds his walking stick with the other. Thorne leads her through the forest.

His grip on his stick tightens for self-defense as he hears sounds that scarily resemble footsteps.

"Cress," Thorne whispers, "considering that we might actually die in this forest, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she replies.

"Why do you have a crush on me?"

Cress feels her cheeks heating up. She shakes, but not because she's cold. She never saw that question being asked ever coming. Was her crush on Thorne _that_ obvious? Did he know the _whole time?_ Now, she just has more questions.

"The year I came to Commonwealth was the year your parents sent you away," Cress explains. "Everyone at school would talk about you and oh my stars, you sounded phenomenal. I just wanted to hear all the good things and they made me happy like fairytales do. Then, you came back and it just put a face to this legend everyone spoke about. A handsome one, I'll add. I looked up to you and wanted to be with you."

Thorne smirks but it vanishes as quick as it came. "I'm no legend though, Cress. My parents sent me away because they wanted me to be more mature but didn't want to teach me themselves. At my new school, I misbehaved so much that they kicked me out and sent me right back home. I'm no legend. I'm just someone who wants attention from parents."

Cress is speechless. Thorne loosens up and decides to change the topic. Her picture of Carswell Thorne that was always in her daydreams is shattered. But now, instead of a self-obsessed boy, she sees someone who acknowledges his flaws and that just makes him more real to her.

"Where is your mom?" Thorne asks her.

Cress swallows the lump in her throat. "She left. My mom felt like she was trapped in the married and parenthood lifestyle so she just left. I think my dad let her since it may have been deteriorating her and he didn't want to see her implode. I kind of felt like that too for a while, just trapped. That is until you whisked me out of my bedroom that night."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. And Thorne, back to what I said about my feelings for you, you've had my attention before I even met you."

"I think that's all that matters."

They see fireflies and realize that the stars in the sky are not as intimidating. The wind whips over the treetops, turning Cress towards Thorne. He wraps his arms around her and embraces the deep fragrance of the forest. Before they know it, some strange, powerful force is drawing them together.

"Despite my ex-girlfriend, I've never been in love before but I'm starting to understand the emotion," Thorne whispers to her. "Every moment with you strengthens that."

Cress is speechless, which is good because that's when Thorne lifts her up and presses her against a tree. Before she could question what's going on, Thorne kisses her. Cress tenses up at the surprise of it but then softens her muscles and accepts it. She lets his lips part hers and indulges in her warmth. Thorne's free hand roams all over her side until it rests at her waist. Cress is taken to a whole new level of surprise and adrenaline. There's something sexy about his confidence. His ability to take charge, his dominating demeanor...and she loves it. With that one kiss, her ambivalence shifts to enthusiasm. Her mind is unable to process the pleasure so fast.

They barely part. Thorne can see Cress' eyes glowing in the darkness which matches her smile.

"That was my first kiss," Cress mutters.

Thorne smirks a little. "How about I give you a second?"

Cress nods, allowing Thorne to kiss her again. In the twilight, their fingers caress each other's skin as if they were afraid a heavier touch would break the magic. They became one, one mind with one goal and purpose, each utterly in love for the other. The rest of the world and the forest becomes an unimportant blur that is banished into the far recesses of their minds. The only thing that matters right now to them is one another.

They part again and Cress' feet land on the ground again. Thorne takes her hand into his.

"I will get us out of here," Thorne states.

"Me too."

* * *

 **Cresswell shippers, bow down! Jokes, jokes, I'll bow down to myself.**

 **And as for the part about Thorne being sent away and his ex-girlfriend, that will all be explained in a later arc.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Will Cress and Thorne find their way out of the forest? How will Kai and Cinder's date go?**


	29. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Nine

**My current plan is to finish Cress' arc by the end of the year and start the next one after my January 2018 exams.**

 ** _Copyright_ \- Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (for a song)**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Beyond the Crescent Moon Part Nine

The sun slowly peeks over the horizon and Cress and Thorne are still walking in some unknown part of the forest. Both of them still stand close to one another, feeling more and more hopeless about the fact that they might never find a way out. Their phones have no service so they can't even call for help. The fatigue from being up all night and the walking is slowly starting to catch up with them.

"I feel dead," Cress groans.

"Same," Thorne replies. His head suddenly perks up. "Do you hear singing?"

"You mean the birds?"

"No, I hear an actual human voice."

"I think you're hallucinating."

"No, just listen."

Cress pauses and she and Thorne remain completely silent. Both of them hold their breaths as well as if that'll help them hear better. They mute out the nature sounds and then the singing is actually audible...and beautiful. Cress looks at Thorne with hope in her eyes again.

 _"We are standing by a wishing well."_

"We can get out of here!" Cress exclaims at him.

"How?" Thorne asks.

 _"Make a wish into the well. That's all you have to do. And if you hear it echoing, your wish will soon come true."_

Cress quickly clears her throat. "I wish you will help us, oh mighty voice!"

Her singing was way off-tune and not melodious at all but Thorne has no time to cringe or comment on it (that and it's not like his is any better).

"Please, oh mighty voice," Thorne sings awfully, trying to match her awful tone. "I wish you would show us the way out."

The two of them wait for a response, hoping that they weren't hallucinating the whole thing even though that's impossible since they both can't hallucinate the same thing.

 _"I'm wishing...I'm wishing..."_

It echoed. That means their wish must come true because the voice said so. Without another thought, Cress and Thorne sprint as fast as they can as the voice continues to bellow throughout the forest. Hopefully, it's not a trap to lure them in but at this point, they just want to get the hell out of here.

-o-

It's seven in the morning as Scarlet stands behind the counter, brewing a fresh batch of coffee. Since she was taking an earlier shift than usual, her manager allowed her to wear her red hoodie with the skirt of her usual waitress uniform. Scarlet typically doesn't take shifts this early in the morning but since Kai and Cinder were sitting in one of her booths, she couldn't say no to that. (Also, maybe Kai and Cinder would tip her well since they're both her friends and loaded with cash).

"Okay," Scarlet says as she hands them both menus, "so you both know why I'm here so early, but why are you two here so early?"

"I work at noon," Cinder replies.

"Okay then, what about a date in the afternoon?" Scarlet suggests.

"I work in the afternoon," Kai replies.

"Evening?"

"Winter's dragging me to the mall," Cinder says.

"My dad's taking me to a business dinner," Kai says.

"Night?" Scarlet suggests.

"There's a math test tomorrow," Kai and Cinder say together.

"Wow," Scarlet says, nodding her head in admiration. "So that's what it must be like to have _actual_ lives."

Kai and Cinder nod in sync. The three of them enjoy a moment of silence before Kai and Cinder give Scarlet a look. It takes Scarlet a moment to realize that she is currently acting like a third wheel. She excuses herself and says that she'll be back in a moment to take their order before spinning on her heel and heading back to her counter. As she subtly watches Kai and Cinder chat amongst themselves, she calls Wolf.

"Hey," Scarlet says once she hears Wolf pick up. "I don't think Cinder's being awkward."

-o-

"You are," Wolf laughs.

He can almost hear her rolling her eyes through the phone.

 _Scarlet: Where are you?_

"Spying from my car in the parking lot. I gotta make sure my student is doing fine. However, my girl doesn't seem to take a hint."

Wolf watches Scarlet inside the diner. He sees her look outside from behind the counter for his car. Once she spots him, she doesn't even try to be subtle about giving him the finger. Wolf just smirks from his car seat.

 _Scarlet: How was I supposed to know I was being intrusive?_

"The silence didn't tell you anything?" Wolf questions.

 _Scarlet: Nope. Maybe I would know a thing or two about a date if you bothered to take me out on one._

Wolf rolls his eyes. "First the gang thing and now this? Geez, woman, you're killing me."

 _Scarlet: I think a corpse would actually take me on a date._

Wolf groans. "Do I really have to take you on a date?"

A second round of the finger from Scarlet inside the diner answers his question.

Wolf hangs up and slumps in his seat. It's not that he has anything against taking Scarlet out on a date, he just doesn't know what to do that would possibly top the whole freeway chase that happened a while back. A restaurant would be an obvious choice for a date like Kai and Cinder, but Scarlet works at one.

This was going to be harder than he thought. It's so much easier to run from the police.

-o-

Cress and Thorne pick up the pace as the singing gets louder. The fatigue from earlier has been replenished with adrenaline as they continue running. The voice they follow starts to vocalize and stretch its notes out melodiously. Up ahead, they can see the trees opening which indicates an opening in the forest's borders. Cress and Thorne run through and find themselves liberated from the confines of the forest. Both of them fall to the ground, grateful and relieved that they can finally rest knowing that they are free. Thorne pants heavily, a laugh staggering out of his mouth. He throws an arm over Cress but ends up sprawling on top of her. He feels Cress' chest vibrate due to her either laughing or crying out of joy.

"Crescent Moon, we're free!" Thorne exclaims.

He kisses the back of her head repeatedly but stops when he sees a shadowed figure approaching them. Thorne and Cress look up and see Winter standing above them. Both of them are confused as to why Winter is there but then they see the Blackburn mansion up ahead. Then, it hits them that they have been in the forest behind Winter's house the whole time.

"You were the ones singing in the forest?" Winter asks. "What were you doing in there?"

"Looking for a way out?" Thorne answers.

"You were singing?" Cress replies. Winter nods. "Not only is your voice beautiful - I mean, is there something about you that isn't beautiful? - but weren't you questioning why people were singing back to you?"

Winter shakes her head. "I thought that birds have evolved into being able to adapt their singing to match those of humans. Have you ever thought of Darwin's theory of evolution? Survival of the fittest?"

Thorne and Cress are confused but just nod their head since they think it's too early to deal with this.

* * *

 **Wolflet will eventually go on a date...I just haven't planned one yet.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- How will Kai and Cinder's date end? How will Cress' dad react to her not being home all night and her short hair with pierced ears?**


	30. Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Ten

**This chapter was actually kind of hard to write, not emotionally because it's the last chapter in Cress' first arc.**

* * *

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Ten

Scarlet leans forwards on the restaurant's counter, chewing on her thumbnail as things seem to be getting intense with Cinder and Kai. Her distance from them is far enough that they have their privacy but she can't hear a word they're saying, yet close enough that she can't read their faces and see their mouths moving. If only Scarlet was better at lip-reading or Cinder and Kai were louder talkers.

Then, Scarlet hears a phone ring. Her hand immediately goes to her back pocket but feels nothing. Usually, her phone vibrates when it rings but her phone is still. Her eyes then dart to Cinder as Kai's table. She sees Cinder get up with her ringing phone in her hands. Almost immediately, Scarlet jumps over the counter and runs over to their table to grab Cinder's phone from her hands.

"Hey!" Cinder exclaims.

"I'll take this for you," Scarlet says.

Before Cinder could object or even say a word, Scarlet scurries off to the kitchen to take the call. She doesn't even look to see who it is before holding the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" Scarlet asks.

 _"Cinder?"_

"Nope."

 _"...who's this?"_

"Scarlet, her friend. Who's this?"

 _"Louis, her boss."_

Those words don't even faze Scarlet. "What's this about? Cinder's busy on a date."

 _Louis: Okay, well, is she going to be able to make it to work today?_

"Of course. That's the only reason why her date is so early."

Louis doesn't say anything. He hangs up the phone. Scarlet puts Cinder's phone in her pocket and walks back outside to see Cinder and Kai back to having a conversation. She could watch this date all day, that is, until she hears a customer come in. Scarlet rolls her eyes at this interruption, especially since she sees that it's Wolf.

"What?" Scarlet asks. "Here to finally take me on a date? Sorry, boy, but I'm busy."

"I got hungry," he responds innocently.

Scarlet rolls her eyes. "I refuse to serve you unless you take me on a date."

"You just said you were busy." Wolf smirks but Scarlet glares. "C'mon, Scarlet, pretty please with sugar on top. Speaking of sugar, I could go for a donut."

"Coming right up!" Scarlet exclaims with a fake waitress charm.

Wolf knows that something is up since her voice was purposely squeaky. He watches Scarlet go to the kitchen and come back with a paper bag in her hands. She hands him the bag and Wolf takes it suspiciously. He unrolls it slowly and pulls out a normal chocolate glazed donut with a giant bite in it. Wolf gives Scarlet an annoyed look as she licks the icing off her lips.

-o-

Thorne wakes up to the smell of cinnamon. He slowly rises and when his eyes adjust, he looks around and has no idea where he is. All he knows is that he's inside a super clean cinnamon-scented mansion that is classy yet modern furniture and decorations. Thorne sits up and doesn't know what part of the forest he's in. His first guess is that he died and this is the afterlife, but then he hears Winter's singing from the kitchen and it all comes back to him. He and Cress escaped the forest and somehow wounded up in the Blackburn backyard. Then, Winter let them in her house where they passed out on the couch.

Thorne looks at the adjacent couch and sees Cress sleeping on it. Her arms are crossed and her legs were propped up while her short hair was lightly brushed over her face. The longer Thorne watches Cress' chest move up and down, the more he remembers about their time in the forest together, especially that kiss they shared.

Thorne's lips tingle as he questions his feelings for Cress. He knows that she's in love with him and has been even before they met. Thorne isn't at that stage yet but he knows that he could get there eventually. All he wants to do with Cress is go on adventures (and kiss her a lot since he really enjoyed that) and get to the point where he can say that he's in love with her that same way that she is with him.

Winter peeks her head from behind the wall. "I made breakfast for you and Cress even though it's almost noon. You like cinnamon toast?"

Thorne nods. "Thanks, Winter, not only for letting us sleep on your couch but for making us some food."

Winter smiles and heads back to the kitchen. Thorne gets up from the couch and stretches before going over to wake up Cress. He pokes her and calls her name but she's too fast asleep to react; even shaking her did nothing. Thorne decides to get on top of Cress and try to wake her from there.

"I'm up, I'm up," Cress slowly grumbles. She brushes her hair out of her face and sees Thorne basically on top of her, his legs around her waist. "What are you - ?"

"Hi, Levana," Thorne says.

Cress looks over and sees that Levana has entered the living room and is staring at them. Thorne and Cress start blushing profusely and Levana's stone-cold poker face doesn't budge one bit. Thorne laughs nervously as he gets off of Cress and Cress just covers her face with her hair to avoid eye contact with Levana.

"I've seen worse," is all Levana says, leaving the two teenagers speechless.

-o-

"So, how has Commonwealth been to you so far?" Kai asks Cinder.

Cinder looks down at her half-eaten pancakes that drown in a pool of syrup. She pretends to have her mouth full as a way of not responding since she couldn't come up with an answer to Kai's basic question. The problem is that she can't answer anything too basic or anything that will kill the conversation; both of which she finds to be challenging.

Cinder fakes a swallow. "I just got used to the time difference."

Kai laughs a little. "Really?"

"There is a three-hour difference between Commonwealth and Artemisia, Artemisia being three hours ahead. It's a pain. Winter and Levana still wake up super early in the morning but I think that's just who they are."

"Speaking of waking up super early," Kai says, quickly spotting a look over his shoulder. "Scarlet and Wolf got up early to spy on us."

Cinder nods. She looks over at the two of them who are chatting with each other at the counter trying to be nonchalant about spying. Cinder scoffs a little, already knowing what was happening the moment they walked in. Not only was Scarlet being super obvious but they knew that Wolf was nearby when she stuck up the middle finger at someone out the window.

"Want to have some fun with this?" Kai asks.

"How so?" Cinder questions.

"Play along."

Kai gets up from his side of the booth and slides into Cinder's side. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her close. With his free hand, he scoops up some of Cinder's pancakes with her fork to feed her. Cinder laughs, not only because Kai's feeding her, Scarlet slapping Wolf excitedly due to this, Wolf choking on his donut due to Scarlet's reaction or because her face is covered in syrup and powdered sugar; but because if Kai was doing this to her without the intention of getting a laugh from Scarlet and Wolf's reactions, she would thoroughly and genuinely enjoy it even more than she already does.

-o-

Cress walks home with a bright smile on her face. She's still tired from staying up all night but rethinking of what happened between her and Thorne fills her up with energy. She had her first and second kiss in one moment with _Carswell Thorne_ and to top that off, not only did she wake up with him on top of her but he confessed to her last night that he was starting to know what it was like to start falling in love.

She opens the front door and is faced with her father. It suddenly hits her that a week is passed and he came home last night when she wasn't here and now she's back the next morning which looks awful on her part. His face is currently a combination of old age, stress, and anger. Cress stays silent as she leans back on the door to shut it.

"I was this close to calling the police," Sage tells Cress, pinching his fingers together to emphasize his point "Where is my daughter, Crescent?"

Cress knows that he's making reference to her new look which almost makes her unrecognizable. "Still here, just with shorter hair and pierced ears."

Sage eyes her, waiting for an explanation. Cress groans as she slides down against the door.

"Dad, I'm gonna be honest," Cress starts. "When we left Luna three years ago, I was so excited to get on a plane and just be in a new town in hopes for a more exciting life. But to be honest, I have had more fun in this past week than I have in the past three years."

"With Carswell Thorne?"

Cress smiles to herself, looking down at her shoes. She doesn't bother to ask her dad how he knew she was with him.

"He showed me the sights I've always wanted to see beyond the crescent moon," she says.

Sage sighs, understanding where Cress is coming from because he raised her. He approaches Cress and hugs her tightly. She's just happy to not be in as much trouble as she thought she would be.

"I just want you to have fun yet be safe," Sage tells Cress. "I don't favor that Thorne boy but as long as he follows those rules then I don't mind you hanging out with him."

"Thank you so much."

-o-

Later that day, Cress hears her phone ding. She walks over and smiles when she sees that it's a text from Thorne. As she reads it, she lies across her bed. Her smile finds a permanent residence on her face.

 _Thorne: Please tell me that your dad isn't forever locking you up in a tower because then I'll have nobody to go on cool adventures with._

 _Cress: Dad said that as long as I'm happy and safe then I can see you._

 _Thorne: ...are you?_

 _Cress: :)_

* * *

 **What a cute ending. The next arc will be up early February 2018. Until then, feel free to guess who the next arc will belong to and let me tell you that I am VERY excited for it.**


	31. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part One

**HELLO 2018 AND HELLO NEW ARC!**

 ** _Reminder_ \- Jacin lives in Artemisia, Luna and goes to a military school. That is a different country in terms of this story. He does not live in Commonwealth with Winter and the rest of the group. This chapter will include sub-headings as to where each part is taking place.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part One

 _Artemisia, Luna_

The time 2:37 AM flashes in neon numbers from the alarm clock that sits on his bedside table. Jacin paces around his dorm room, quickly throwing on the first dark sweatshirt jeans he can find. Taking a sharp breath, he looks at the empty backpack on his bed and starts filling it with items he knows that he will need. Jacin only packs lightly, taking the bare necessities with him. As he zips up his bag, he looks at his charging cell phone that is right beside his alarm clock. For a second, Jacin thinks that he should bring it with him so that he'll have something to communicate with - but then realizes that's what they'll use to find him.

Jacin slowly opens his bedroom door, looking at the dimly lit hallways of Andromeda Academy's dormitory. He slides through the crack he left and quietly shuts the door again. Jacin throws on his hood and runs down the hall, taking the fire escape as his way outside. From the balcony, he sees the patrol officers scouting the perimeter of the place.

"Aces..." Jacin curses.

Knowing that his military school was heavily guarded like this, he takes a moment to think about his next move. Jacin looks around and spots the nearest guard's blindspot. He knows that he has to move fast and stealthily.

Jacin jumps the rest of the way off the fire escape. He lands on his feet and starts sprinting. Once he reaches the stone fence that borders the academy, he doesn't hesitate to climb over.

He just needs to get the hell out of here.

Jacin lands on the ground on the other side and feels liberated, no longer trapped in that institution. Jacin gets up, brushes himself off, and walks forth into the streets of Luna. When he's far enough from his military school, he takes a break from all the walking. Jacin reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a notebook and a pen. He clicks the pen open as he opens to a blank page in the notebook and starts to write.

 _'Dear Winter...'_

-o-

The next afternoon, Jacin's mother, Clarissa Clay, walks through the dormitory hallways towards her son's room. Many cadets move to the side when they see her, welcoming her with a salute. Clarissa wasn't a soldier nor was she scary. She was a sweet woman who could be intimidating when she wants, but it was her former-soldier-now-dean of Andromeda Academy husband that gets everyone off their rockers.

As she walks, her soft blond curls bounce on her shoulders as the heels of her shoes click against the tiled floor. She approaches her son's door and knocks on it.

"Jacin," she calls, "are you feeling well? You haven't been in your morning classes nor are you answering your calls."

No response.

"Jacin?" Clarissa knocks again.

Still no response.

Clarissa tries the door handle and to her surprise, it opens. She walks into the empty bedroom, not seeing Jacin there at all and his cell phone on his nightstand. Instantly, her motherly instincts kick in and she starts to panic. If Jacin wasn't in school nor was he here, where could he possibly be?

"Garrison!" Clarissa screams as she runs out.

-o-

Sitting outside the dean of Andromeda Academy's office is Cadet Liam Kinney. His leg shakes due to his unexpected nerves. Nothing scares him much, except now when he has no idea why he's here. He couldn't be in trouble, right? He hasn't done anything bad (at least that he knows of). Even his classmates were surprised when he got called down since nobody saw that coming from him out of all people.

Hearing someone come his way, Kinney's head shoots up in the direction of the sound. When he sees that it's only Iko, Kinney scowls and wonders to himself if his day could get any worse.

"Wow," Iko states the closer she gets to him. "Never thought I'd live to see the day that Cadet Liam Kinney gets called down to the dean's office."

"What are you doing here, Iko?" Kinney asks her. "You don't even go to this school."

"Excuse you, Liam, I go to the sister school. So that should technically be Cadet Linh Iko, to you."

Iko flips her hair, which has recently gotten blue braids into it. She waits for a reaction from Kinney but his face is still a rock.

"I honestly couldn't care less about your rank," Kinney honestly tells her.

Iko rolls her eyes as she takes a seat next to him. She crosses one leg over the other as she sees Kinney twiddle his thumbs.

"But why are you here?" Kinney asks her.

"Not sure," Iko admits. "This morning, I basically got something equivalent to a subpoena to get my ass down here."

Kinney was about to say that he got the same thing, but gets cut off by the opening of the dean's door. Both Kinney and Iko stand up in sync, raising their arms to salute at their superiors. Then, their arms are frozen due to what they see inside the office. They see Commander/Dean Garrison Clay and his wife, Clarissa, both of them disheveled and distraught, yet still trying to maintain the professional appearance. That's not the part that worries Kinney and Iko. It's the federal detectives in front of two empty chairs that has them uneasy.

"What crimes have you committed recently?" Kinney whispers to Iko, barely moving his mouth.

"Nothing I can remember," Iko replies the same way. "But if worse come to worse, I'm throwing you under the bus."

"I hate you."

"Kiss my ass."

Commander Clay clears his throat. Iko and Kinney lower their arms and follow the arm motion telling them to come in and take a seat. They both shuffle inside, quickly taking their seats. They look up at the adults, unsure of which one was going to speak first.

"We're sorry to have called you down under such circumstances," Commander Clay tell them, "but I'm not going to beat around the bush. Where the hell is my son?"

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Winter excitedly opens the mailbox and searches through the mail. She quickly skims the letters, expecting one from Jacin but there's nothing from him. Not thinking much of it, Winter walks back into the house with the mail that did show up. She steps into the kitchen and hovers over the recycling bin. Winter leafs through the mail that did show up, throwing away the junk mail and flyers. She then walks over to Levana, who leans on the kitchen island while sipping her morning espresso and hands the mail that was for her. Levana glances at the envelopes and throws them away.

Winter sits on the opposite end of the island and sulks as she bites into an apple. Cinder enters the kitchen and notices Winter's mood as she puts a bagel in the toaster.

"What's wrong?" Cinder asks.

"Jacin's letter didn't arrive," Winter replies.

"That sucks." Cinder's toast pops out and she proceeds to smother a thick layer of cream cheese and jam on it. "That's why Iko and I video chat."

"The pen is mightier than the wifi," Winter says.

Cinder bites on her bagel, chewing it as she thinks that statement over. "I think you mean, 'the pen is mightier than Andromeda Academy's curfew'."

Winter smirks. "Exactly. Jacin is no Iko who will just break curfew, especially since his dad is in charge."

"Exactly. Well, I'm off to work. I'll see you later."

Cinder finishes her bagel as she leaves the kitchen, saying goodbye to Winter and Levana on her way out. Winter continues eating her apple, still thinking about the lack of a letter she would be reading about now if it did show up.

"Winter!" Cinder exclaims from the doorway. "Someone's at the door for you!"

Then, it hits Winter. Maybe Jacin didn't write because he was planning to surprise her with a visit. Winter puts her apple on the kitchen counter and runs over to the front door. She sees a man in a soldier's uniform from Andromeda Academy. Cinder stands behind the soldier, making a phone gesture with her hand as a way to tell Winter to call her about this when it's done, before heading off to work.

Winter looks up at the soldier in a stunned silence. If there's one thing that Levana taught her from personal experience, it's that it's never good news if a uniformed man shows up at your front door uninvited.

"Miss. Hayle-Blackburn?" The soldier asks.

Winter nods, unable to speak. She can hear Levana slowly making her way to the front door.

"We have some questions for you involving Cadet Jacin Clay."

* * *

 **Hmm, where has Jacin gone off to? But hey, first physical appearances of Iko and Kinney! And I will eventually explain why Iko is Linh Iko.**

 **Please, check out the poll on my profile and vote on it!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- more questions will be asked about Jacin's sudden disappearance but will they be answered?**


	32. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Two

**You all wanted another chapter so I shall provide one.**

 **Is it weird that I already planned a possible spinoff for this story for when it's done?**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Two

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Levana slides past Winter in the doorframe and steps outside to face the soldier, almost as if she's acting as a protective barrier for her. Winter could almost feel the coldness coming off of Levana as she stares at the uniformed man. Winter hesitates on whether or not she should back away, but she stays since the soldier said that he needed to speak to her about Jacin.

"What do you want with her?" Levana asks the soldier. "She is a minor and I'm her stepmother."

"My apologies, Ms. Blackburn," the soldier says with a small head bow. "I was sent from Andromeda Academy under the orders of Commander Clay and has to ask questions on behalf of Cadet Clay."

Levana lifts a brow. "About Jacin? What could you possibly ask?"

"I will inform you both during the question period."

Levana is hesitant and suspicious at first but eventually opens the door wider to let the soldier in. She leads him up the stairwell into her office, extending her arm to the chair for him to take a seat in. Levana plays the role of hospitable host and offers him a drink as she places Winter in the chair across from him, on the other side of the desk.

"No thank you, ma'am," the soldier politely responds.

Levana quietly exits the room, leaving Winter and the soldier alone. The door clicks shut, making Winter jump a little. A part of her wishes that Levana stayed in here because she "was a minor" or that she's listening with an ear against the door and a willingness to kick down the door in case something goes wrong in here. Winter looks forwards at the soldier and watches him pull out a notepad and click his pen.

"How are you this morning, Miss. Blackburn?" He asks her.

"Scared," Winter replies.

"Would it make you feel better if I call you Winter?" She nods. "Alright then, Winter, I'll make this as quick as possible so you don't freak out. You would consider Jacin to be your boyfriend, right?"

"Yes," Winter replies.

"And how long have you been dating?"

"Three years." She shifts her position in her seat. "What is this about?"

The soldier sighs. "About 32 hours ago, security footage in the dormitory of Andromeda Academy found that Jacin ran off the school premises. His parents nor his friends there know where he went or why he left. He just disappeared."

Winter doesn't hear what the soldier says beyond that last sentence because all his next words just blur together. Those words seem to physically bite her. Her heart beats out of her chest, her whole world is spinning and she feels like she's going to vomit all over Levana's desk. How could she control this sudden heartache when it screams so loud that it's deafening?

"Miss. Winter?"

Winter snaps back into reality. She feels a tear roll down her cheek. The soldier nudges a tissue box on Levana's desk and she takes one, dabbing her cheek dry.

"Sorry..." She mutters.

"When did you last have contact with Jacin?" He continues.

"A little over a week ago. We write letters."

The soldier is taken aback for a moment. "Letters?"

"Yes. Aside from Andromeda Academy's strict curfew and the time difference, Jacin doesn't really like to verbalize his feelings orally. We write them down because that's what you do when you can't verbally talk to someone you love."

"I see. That's very touching. Thank you for your cooperation, Winter, may you ask you stepmother to come in here?"

Winter nods as she gets up from her seat and opens the door, hearing the soldier's pen write on his notepad as she speedwalks down the hallway to find Levana.

-o-

As Levana is being questioned by the soldier, Winter presses her ear against the door to listen, nervously gnawing on her hair. The soldier's statement about Jacin's disappearance echoes in her mind. She starts to see traces of blood on the wall, shaping out to be the words he said. Winter breathes heavily, squinting her eyes shut as she starts to shake.

Her eyes open again as she hears the chairs from the other side of the door screech against the floor. Winter bounces up and dives into the next room so that they know that she wasn't eavesdropping. Winter hears Levana escort the soldier back out.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Blackburn," the soldier says. "I'm sure Commander Clay will keep you updated from this point forward unless I'm instructed otherwise."

"I'll be sure to inform you if any of us hear anything about Jacin," Levana says.

After a couple more exchanges of polite courtesy, Winter hears the front door close and lock. She grips her doorknob and opens the door only to see Levana already there with furrowed brows and crossed arms directed at her.

"Did you know about this?" Levana mutters to her.

Winter shakes her head rapidly. "No, not at all."

"You better not. Now, don't get me wrong, I am worried about Jacin as well but if you are lying to me, I will get over it. If you lied to that soldier, if you lied to Garrison and Clarissa about their own flesh and blood, there will be severe consequences that wouldn't only be from me. This is serious, Winter."

Winter nods. "I understand." She takes a breath. "But, Stepmother, what do we do?"

Levana sighs. "I honestly have no idea."

-o-

 _Artemisia, Luna_

Iko and Kinney leave Commander Clay's office, both of them still shaken and disturbed by the fact that Jacin ran away from school without telling anyone he was going to do so or where he was running to. The two of them sit on a bench in the courtyard of the Academy, needing time to process all of this without being stared at by Jacin's worried parents and stern federal officials.

"Let's cut the rest of class," Iko says to Kinney.

"We can't," Kinney replies.

"Kinney, this is a national emergency!" Iko exclaims.

Before Kinney could argue back, both of their phones start ringing at the same time. Both of them pull out their phones to see who could be calling. Iko's getting a call from Cinder and Kinney from Winter. They turn their backs from one another and take the call.

 _Cinder: Aces, Iko, what is going on?!_

"Your guess is as good as mine," Iko replies. "Jacin told me nothing, he just poofed into thin air. This is all breaking news to me as it is to you."

 _Cinder: A soldier dude came to my workplace and interrogated me!_

"What?! You're so lucky! I got Jacin's parents, some scary people in suits, and a Kinney who looked like he was going to crap himself."

Kinney glares at Iko. "Shut up - oh no, that wasn't directed at you Winter."

 _Winter: Kinney, I'm scared. Nothing this bad is ever supposed to happen._

"I know, Winter," Kinney replies, "I'm still trying to fit all of this into my skull. Iko and I will keep you updated. Jacin couldn't have gone far."

 _Winter: It's been more than 32 hours, Kinney! He could be anywhere!_

Winter starts sobbing on the other end. Kinney hesitates and Iko rolls her eyes as she makes her and Kinney switch phones so she can calm Winter and Kinney can chat with Cinder.

Both of their calls eventually end. Iko and Kinney look at each other, wondering what they're going to do next in terms of finding Jacin. Just like they don't know about Jacin's plans, they don't know their own either.

-o-

 _Somewhere in Luna_

Jacin is still located in Luna, in a city that he barely knows himself. He isn't scared of the unknown, he's more worried about being found after the progress he's made so far. With his backpack slung over his shoulder and his grey hood over his head, he continues trekking.

When he passes a mailbox, he stops. He slings his backpack off his shoulder to his chest and opens the front pocket. He pulls out a letter and drops it in the box before continuing his journey.

* * *

 **Go vote in the poll on my page!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Winter confides in the group about Jacin and they try to help.**


	33. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Three

**I love how nobody (as in you, the readers) really cares that Jacin ran away from home since Iko and Kinney's first appearances matter more. Honestly, same here because when I first planned this arc, they were not going to be in it.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Three

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

The next day, at The Rampion, Scarlet works her shift and serves some food to the circular booth containing her friends. Wolf, Cress, Kai, and Thorne give their thanks as they start to salivate over their food. They were about to just dive right in and start to eat but hear the bell on the door of the diner ring. When they look over, they see a dead-looking Winter walk inside followed by Cinder. (However, if anyone can make a zombie look work, it's Winter).

Winter hasn't slept all night. The thought of Jacin somewhere in Luna after having escaped school. It's not that he was kidnapped, he _chose_ to leave without telling anyone. It haunts her that she doesn't know what's going on in Jacin's mind nor can she or anyone pinpoint where it is.

"Winter," Kai says as she and Cinder sit down in their booth, "are you okay?"

"No..." Winter mutters.

"What happened?"

"It's my boyfriend."

Unsure if whether to keep asking questions or not, everyone sitting in the booth remains silent yet still inquisitive. Scarlet scurries off to get Winter and Cinder some food. Winter starts fidgeting with her fingers due to her nerves in the situation so she starts playing with Kai's hair just to give herself something to do, and he lets her.

"Did your boyfriend dump you?" Scarlet finally asks as she hands them their food. It may have been blunt but it was necessary just to start the conversation.

"It's worse..." Winter replies. "He ran away from school and nobody knows where he is or where he's going or why he did it."

Cress gasps, almost choking on her sandwich. "Your cadet boyfriend ran away from military school?"

"That's not even legal, is it?" Wolf says.

Winter shrugs. She just doesn't know what to think about any of this.

"Which military school is it?" Thorne asks.

"Andromeda Academy," Cinder responds.

Scarlet snorts a laugh. "That's the school Thorne went to when he was 14 before getting expelled."

Winter and Cinder look at Thorne in a new way after learning that fact. Their faces are wide in shock. To think that their contact name for Thorne in their phones is Captain Thorne when in reality, he was an ex-cadet. And the girls aren't discrediting the validity of Scarlet's statement in any way (especially since nobody else including Thorne denied it), they're just amazed that Thorne was in their hometown at one point and at that school out of all places.

"My parents shipped me off when I was 14, hoping that the structure would do me good," Thorne explains to them. "I was not a good young teenager so what better way to teach him to behave than sending him to a military school in a different country? In all honesty, my parents wanted me out. My experience was horrific because it was _too_ structured for me so I wanted to get out. The only way I could go home was to be kicked out so I purposely got expelled after my first year. I didn't have a care in the world about grades or discipline. I had no plans and no interest in finding any at that point."

"We know that Thorne," Kai says, "we just want to know what you did to _get_ expelled."

Now, everyone is intrigued. That was the part of the story that nobody knew since Thorne just kept that detail to himself. Rumors have been circulating but none have been denied or admitted.

"The details as to what I did will be shared another time," Thorne says sheepishly. "Just know that it was an all-boys school and I almost died without female attraction for the majority of the day, so I _really_ needed to leave. We should be focusing on Winter's missing boyfriend."

"You may know him," Winter says. "It's Jacin Clay."

Immediately, Thorne spits out his milkshake. Everyone jumps a little at that reaction, especially the ones who got spat on. Scarlet distributes napkins to everyone, giving an entire pile of them to Thorne who wipes his mouth and the table.

"Sorry..." Thorne mumbles. "I just can't believe that _Jacin Clay_ would run away from school, especially a school that his dad is the dean of. Not to mention that Jacin is that type of guy whose first words were probably the rulebook."

Cinder scoffs. "I could totally see that."

"We'll help you find your boyfriend," Scarlet says. "Despite us not knowing him and he not knowing us."

Winter looks up in gratitude.

"Yeah," Wolf says, "we're all teenagers. We could attempt to understand Jacin even though most of us have never met him."

"Maybe Jacin has some pent up anger against his parents," Cress suggests.

"I know I do," Thorne murmurs.

"Same here," Scarlet agrees. "And I actually _did_ run away so it all makes sense."

"Nonsense!" Winter exclaims. "Garrison and Clarissa are some of the sweetest people I know. I just - I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry, Winter," Kai reassures. "If you have no strength, I'll give you some of mine."

Everyone else agrees. For the first time in a while, Winter feels a bit relieved.

-o-

 _Andromeda Academy, Luna_

Iko sticks a bobby pin into the lock of Jacin's dorm. Kinney stands behind her, constantly looking around to make sure nobody comes to bust them. They both want to try and find their friend or at least make sure that he's not going crazy. Once the door opens, Iko and Kinney see just an ordinary dorm room with not one misplaced item in sight.

"Even when he runs away, he's neat and tidy," Iko comments.

Iko heads over to Jacin's bed and nightstand as Kinney closes the door. He walks over to Jacin's desk and bookshelf to investigate. Even then, nothing screams out to them as suspicious. He truly left nothing for them to find - not even a scrap piece of paper with a snippet of a plan on it.

"There's no picture of me on his nightstand," Iko says, looking at the framed one of Jacin and Winter that was dust free. "I'm offended...unless Jacin took them with him."

Kinney cringes. "Your photo would be the reason I run away."

Iko ignores Kinney, knowing that he's also _probably_ offended that Jacin doesn't have a photo of him in sight either. She sees his phone still charging and picks it up. Iko manages to unlock it since Jacin's passcode was Winter's birthday. Instead of snooping through texts or notes, she opens the camera and starts taking a round of selfies.

"Iko!" Kinney yells in a hushed tone. "This is a crime scene!"

"Maybe your selfies are a crime but Jacin's room has superb lighting," Iko replies.

She continues to take selfies, using a bunch of filters and even getting Kinney in the background of some. Iko isn't worried about Jacin's phone being investigated since it probably already was.

Kinney brushes past the bookshelf and the desk, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. All that rests there are some textbooks, novels, and stationary. His notebooks are empty or just contain class notes.

"Iko," Kinney says once she's done her selfies. "I'm scared for Jacin."

"Why?" Iko questions. "I didn't think you were capable of human emotions."

"If Jacin never comes home, that means I'm stuck with you."

Iko rolls her eyes, not having seen that coming when she should've. "You're already stuck with me."

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Winter looks out the window and sees the mailman walking down their driveway. She gets up from her seat and heads out to the mailbox. There's nothing much there: just the usual junk mail and mail that Levana will just throw away. Then, something catches her eye. It's a letter for her. Her heart instantly goes to the thought that it's from Jacin, but the sender's address is Iko.

Saddened, Winter walks back in the house and leans against the door as she closes it. Once the door clicks, so does her mind:

None of this makes sense.

Iko wouldn't write a letter. She would call or text. Winter looks at the envelope and realizes that this isn't Iko's writing but an attempted impersonation of it. Then, Winter realizes that Iko didn't write or send this letter.

It's from Jacin.

* * *

 **Please visit the poll on my page and vote!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What could be written in that letter?**


	34. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Four

**I apologize for not putting as much attention on this story compared to my other one, but I was just in a groove for that story.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Four

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Winter's shaking hands carefully open the envelope. She pulls out a folded sheet of standard notebook paper and unfolds it. Inside is a letter that was written completely in Jacin's writing. Tears form in her eyes as she reads each and every line. When her tears fall on the letter, they appear as drops of blood until she shakes her head and sees them as normal tears.

Once the letter is complete, Winter holds it close to her chest. Her entire body starts shaking as she leans against the door and slides down to the ground.

-o-

 _Artemisia, Luna_

Rumors have been spreading in both sectors of Andromeda Academy. Students have been endlessly gossiping about Jacin and his noticeable disappearance. Typically, Jacin had the reputation of being the quiet kid in the class whose dad was the dean. Now that he's mysteriously not here, everyone started talking. Iko and Kinney have been questioned about it by their peers to which they responded with vague answers along the lines of 'I don't know'. It was at that point where the rumors were so thick that they couldn't even deny Jacin's disappearance.

Iko and Kinney stand in the courtyard, seeing all their peers walk past them. All the conversations they hear are typical and mundane until Iko and Kinney are in sight because then the conversation drastically changes to whatever Jacin rumor is trending across campus.

"I heard that the military has spotted some sightings of Jacin," a student says.

Iko and Kinney glance at one another and subtly nod their heads once. That was possibly true.

"I heard that Jacin went crazy like his girlfriend did before she left the country," a second classmate says.

Iko and Kinney just shoot daggers with their eyes at that classmate. They were fine with Jacin being called crazy because they knew he wasn't crazy, but bringing Winter and her mental stability into the fire of rumors was uncalled for and inappropriate. Iko and Kinney would deal with it, but showing anger towards it implies that it was true and they were denying it. That and rumors were just rumors. Let them spread to give people something to talk about.

"I'm going to put bleach in their shampoo," Iko murmurs about all their chattering classmates.

"Iko..." Kinney scolds.

"Fine. I'll just put hair dye."

Kinney's face is still stern. Iko rolls her eyes. It's not like she was aiming to get Kinney's approval or permission, she just wanted someone to bounce ideas on.

"Only put hair dye in the shampoo that belongs to whoever mentions Winter in their gossip," Kinney says.

Iko grins mischievously. "I knew you'd come on board."

"And make it a ridiculous color."

"Of course."

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Winter is in her room, lying in the middle of her bed and staring up at her empty ceiling. The letter rests on her chest and floods her thoughts. The words replay over and over again, being said in Jacin's voice which only adds to the mess of voices that already reside in her head (that weren't being hushed with her medication). Speaking of her medication, Winter isn't sure if she took her daily dose ever since Jacin went missing. Her mind has been on that over her mental health.

Cinder walks into Winter's room to check up on her and is instantly hit with an overwhelming smell. She gags a bit and coughs. Winter hasn't even noticed Cinder's entrance.

"Aces, Winter, are you smoking?!" Cinder exclaims.

"No..." Winter mutters. "It's lavender oil."

Cinder looks over at Winter's desk and sees her essential oil diffuser letting out its lavender mist. Cinder knows that Winter only uses that machine when she is in a desperate need of calming down. She sits on the corner of Winter's bed and spots the sheet of paper on Winter's chest. Cinder's hand hover over to grab it. When she sees that Winter has no issue with that, Cinder takes the sheet and starts to read it.

"Dearest Winter," Cinder reads, "I'm sure that by now, you know what's going on. However, you might also be wondering what is going on. As the center of this problem, I can honestly tell you that I have no idea what's going on. I just had to get out of Andromeda Academy and clear my head to figure out what's going on. Don't worry about me. I might not know what's happening or what I'm doing but I will be fine."

Cinder's jaw drops to the ground. That letter was so vague and ambiguous that it could almost mean anything. Winter sits up and looks at Cinder for some sort of comment on it or reassurance. Unfortunately, Cinder is in too much shock an confusion brought by the letter that she isn't even sure what to do about it.

"We have to do something with this," Cinder says.

"What do we do?" Winter responds.

Cinder shrugs. "I'm not exactly sure, but now I feel your pain on a gut level."

-o-

 _Location Unknown_

Jacin is smarter than people assume him to be. Not only is he the son of a former military commander but he's been at Andromeda Academy long enough to know how to sneak around. Of course, he's never done it himself until now but he's heard about his classmates' failed attempts and keeps his comments on their stupidity to himself. He's learned from and corrected their mistakes which is why he was one of the only ones able to run off successfully. But unlike those success stories, they had legitimate reasons for escaping unlike him who isn't quite sure why he left.

Recently, Jacin hasn't been sure on anything.

He stops walking on the sidewalk and rests beside a tree in the park to take a moment to think. He really had no idea why he did this or where he's going. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he should go back but no. He would return and not only get yelled at by his parents but be back in that stagnant school. His personal skepticism would only continue to bug him and then what would all this have been for?

Absolutely nothing, that's what.

Jacin takes a breath and a moment to just reflect: what choice in his life was he a thousand percent sure of? If he was able to answer that, then maybe he knows what the whole point of leaving was.

This epiphany hits him like a bullet. Jacin knows something he's absolutely certain in.

He starts walking again, now with a destination in mind.

He starts running, needing to get there as fast as possible.

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

"I can't do this..." Winter says, light on her toes as she starts to sway uncontrollably.

"Don't worry, Winter," Cinder says rushed to make sure Winter doesn't pass out. She hands Winter her essential oil diffuser so she'd calm down with the lavender oil. "Just breathe and I will think of something. Maybe we should just tell Garrison and Clarissa about this."

"You didn't even read the back of the letter."

"The back?"

Cinder takes the letter again and turns it over. She notices an additional sentence just above Jacin's signature. Cinder's eyes read through it and she puts down the letter so she could put her fingers on her forehead. That one dreaded sentence just made all of this even harder and makes Cinder's plan invalid. Winter is unable to handle any more of this. Cinder holds Winter's arm with one hand and the letter with the other. She just doesn't want Winter to pass out or even worse, lose control of the voices that will reappear in her head the more she panics.

 _'Winter, please, if you truly loved me, then you won't tell my parents about this letter...'_

"Well, spades..." Cinder grumbles. "Jacin better be looking for his mind because I think he lost it."

* * *

 **I had to reread Jacin's letter so many times because it was confusing me.**

 **Please visit the poll on my page!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What could that letter possibly mean? And where is Jacin headed? While all that's brewing, what are the other couples up to?**


	35. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Five

**As I publish this chapter, I am currently writing the ending of this arc. I thought it would have taken longer to write but apparently not.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Five

Winter panics, unable to take control of the situation. She suddenly feels suffocated and faint. Cinder takes Winter's hand and squeezes tightly as a way to say that she's here and she'll try to manage this as much as she can.

"Cinder, what do we do?" Winter questions anxiously.

Cinder is scared as well. "I have no idea. We have to tell someone because if we keep this a secret from the military involved, it could be a crime."

"We can't tell anyone. I love Jacin and I can't tell anybody about this letter."

"We have to!" Cinder argues. "Jacin could be in serious trouble!"

Winter puts her feelings aside for a moment and puts that into consideration. "We can't tell Levana."

"We weren't going to and besides, Mayor Rikan will have her working late for a while."

That was beneficial for them only because Levana was out of the way. In terms of a cohesive plan, they still have nothing.

"I can't..." Winter mutters. "My head is telling me to help him - "

"Winter," Cinder cuts her off. "Jacin will be - "

"Jacin is like my medicine because he's the only one who can calm me down."

-o-

The next day, at school, Cress leans against a wall of lockers, next to Thorne who rummages through his. Cress doesn't comment on the lack of textbooks or binders that Thorne keeps in there (and they're not in his empty backpack either) since she knows that Thorne has little to no respect for school in general.

"You know," Cress starts, "the year you went to military school was the year I came into town. Admittedly, I fell in love with the talk about you being a cadet."

"When in reality, I was a sad child that my parents wanted to get rid of," Thorne replies with a small smirk on his face.

"I doubt you got expelled because you wanted to go home to them. So, what'd you do?"

Thorne closes his locker door and is face-to-face with Cress. She's smaller than him so when she looks up at him, it's even cuter. Thorne looks at her pleading eyes and the blushing apples of her cheeks. He didn't think that a simple girl like Cress could tempt him so much but he's weak in the knees.

"Again, Cress," Thorne says, "I'll tell it some other time or maybe never. Long story short, I got expelled for doing the same thing as Jacin - running away. I got caught though and usually, they don't do anything if a cadet were to leave but it's _how_ I left that got me my beloved plane ticket home."

Cress is more interested now. "What did you do?"

Thorne smirks. "That's a story for another time."

Cress nods. Thorne admires how she isn't continuing to pester him about his final days in Andromeda Academy. She accepts (for now at least) that he isn't telling her. Unless this is a tactic on her part, then he'll never know. Again, Cress is very tempting to him in such a simplistic way. It's like she doesn't even try and boy does it amaze him.

Thorne leans back on his locker. "It's hard to keep me from just jumping on you and kissing you like there's no tomorrow."

Cress is suddenly on her toes, her cheeks blushing like a wildfire. That got her off her persuasion act since she didn't see that coming. Her and Thorne have been close ever since their night in the forest together but their romance and intimacy seemed to have stayed there. Still, the hinted romance was pleasant for the two of them.

Cress raises an eyebrow. "I can feel your eyes roaming all over my body. What's stopping you?"

Thorne is now the one who didn't see that coming. Cress, flirting intentionally? This was all new to him but he really did like it. _A lot._

As their little mind games continue, both unsure whether the story of how Thorne got expelled will be told or if some kissing will be going on. Either of the two would be nice for Cress even though Thorne would prefer the latter.

Their phones both ding and they both look and see the same message from the group chat containing their social group in it. Right now, the group chat's name was currently called: Ex-Cadet Carswell's Crew. (Thorne made the group chat and it contains him, Cress, Scarlet, Wolf, Cinder, Kai, and Winter. The original name he put was 'Captain Thorne's Crew' but everyone's been changing the name just to spite each other, mostly him.)

 _Cinder: Rampion. After school._

 _Scarlet: Be there or be square ;)_

 _Cinder: Dear stars, you did not just send that._

 _Scarlet: ;)_

 _Thorne: I hate this group chat._

 _Wolf: This group chat hates you too._

 _Thorne: -_-_

 _Cress: Minus me. I like you._

 _Thorne: At least one person here likes me._

 _Wolf: Cress doesn't count._

 _Kai: Yeah, she really doesn't._

 _Cress: HEY! RUDE!_

 _Thorne: At least Winter cares about me. Right, Winter?_

 _Winter: ..._

 _Thorne: I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!_

 _Winter: We are, it's just..._

 _Cinder: JUST MEET AT THE RAMPION OH MY STARS!_

-o-

After school, still in their uniforms, the group aka Ex-Cadet Carswell's Crew at the Rampion. All of them sit in the circular booth, even Scarlet who chooses not to work today for this reason. Cinder and Winter sit on the ends of the booth, distributing the milkshakes that a waitress brings them.

"Jacin sent me a letter while he was MIA," Winter explains. She opens her backpack and pulls it out. "I want you to read it and understand it."

Winter slides the letter across the table for them all to see. Thorne, Cress, Scarlet, Wolf, and Kai all cautiously read every written word. As they do so, Cinder nudges Winter's milkshake closer to her and she quickly takes her medication.

 _'Dear Winter, I'm sure that by now, you know what's going on. However, you might also be wondering what is going on. As the center of this problem, I can honestly tell you that I have no idea what's going on. I just had to get out of Andromeda Academy and clear my head to figure out what's going on. Don't worry about me. I might not know what's happening or what I'm doing but I will be fine.'_

Cinder flips the letter over.

 _'Winter, please, if you truly loved me, then you won't tell my parents about this letter...'_

And now, they are all silent.

"Where do we start with this letter dissection?" Scarlet says. "I say we deal with the confusion motif. Jacin clearly has no idea what he's doing."

"I think there's a paradox here," Kai points out. "Jacin doesn't know - or at least says he doesn't know - what he's doing, but he did know that he has to just get away from where he was."

"So, he knew that he didn't know," Cress states. Everyone who just read the letter nods in agreement. "Okay, so we can move on from that point."

As they continue their discussion about the letter, Cinder and Winter's jaws drop in utter shock. None of them expected to see this academic-like analysis done on this letter. They were both right to have come to their Ex-Cadet Carswell's Crew for assistance.

"Jacin does call himself the center of this problem," Wolf says.

"Well, he did run away," Thorne states the obvious.

"Do you guys find any important, subliminal message that we're missing?" Cinder prompts.

All of them shake their heads as they continue to analyze.

Winter clears her throat. "You guys don't really have to do this."

"Don't be ridiculous," Wolf tells her. "Your problems are our problems. Besides, us Lunars - with Scarlet, Thorne, and Kai - gotta stick together."

"Besides," Kai says, "what's the point of doing this if it weren't possible? Asking for the impossible to be done is a waste of time."

"Really?" Thorne questions. "Because this letter is confusing me."

"...me too."

"We're going to be here a while..." Scarlet mutters. "We'll be needing more milkshakes."

-o-

 _Location Unknown_

Jacin places his bag on the counter of a gas station bathroom, not thinking or caring about how disgusting it may be. He zips open his backpack and pulls out a plastic bag from a convenience store he went to earlier. Inside, it a box of do-it-yourself hair dye. He tears open the box and skims through the instructions. Jacin takes out the components and mixes all that has to be done. As he shakes the formula together, he looks at his reflection in the grimy mirror, focusing on his blond hair that flops around.

He knows that his parents will have people looking for him and one of the noticeable factors about him is, shockingly, his blond hair. Jacin knows that his current decision is hasty but nobody will suspect that some random dude with blue hair is the one they'relooking for. At first, Jacin thought about dying his entire head but changed his mind.

Jacin starts applying the blue dye on his tips. He doesn't care much about rinsing the excess dye out since his only option is to use the sink which is extremely dirty. Instead, he puts his hood over his head, pulling his blue tips out to show them off. Now, it just _looks_ like his entire head is dyed blue.

He likes this plan better.

* * *

 **In case you're wondering: yes, we will eventually learn how Thorne got kicked out of military school.**

 **Please visit the poll on my page!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- As the couples continue their romance, Winter tries to distract herself for a bit.**


	36. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Six

**In case you needed a small break from the Jacin drama, there is a little Wolflet and Kaider here for all of you.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Six

After all the endless nagging from Scarlet, Wolf finally agreed to take her on a date. He didn't see a point in one since they hang out all the time and have their arms around each other for the majority of that time. Then again, maybe an outing that they can title as a date sounds nice and they could finally say they have been on one.

With that in mind, Wolf took full control of the date and when the day came, his only condition was to dress casually which they both did. Both of them were in jeans. Scarlet wore her signature red sweatshirt and a light windbreaker and Wolf wore a dark tee and a leather jacket. In the car, Scarlet sits in anticipation as Wolf drives. She's excited about this date and Wolf is pleased to see that.

"Alright," Wolf says, parking the car. "We're here."

Scarlet steps out, expecting to see this enigmatic date place filled with romance, but her hopes crash to the ground when she sees Lunar Academy in front of them. She turns around to Wolf and glares sickeningly at him.

"Really?" Scarlet questions. "School on a Saturday?"

"Just wait..." Wolf says.

He takes her hands and leads her into the courtyard. Scarlet sees a cute picnic set up. That makes the date seem a bit better so far but still, they're at school.

"Leave it up to you to come up with a bare minimalistic date," Scarlet says.

Wolf isn't sure if that's a compliment, sarcasm or a mix of the two, but he still takes it as is.

"Hey," Wolf defends, "nobody could steal your ability to come up with new thoughts."

"What kind of date is this?"

"Lunch and a show."

Wolf points to the classroom just in front of their picnic basket. Scarlet looks through and sees Thorne sitting at a desk, struggling on a test he missed in the middle of the week. Thorne sees them both there and gives them the finger as they both laugh at him.

"So you took me to a picnic at school on a Saturday to watch Thorne fail a test?" Scarlet asks.

Wolf nods as Scarlet's smile grows bigger than ever.

"This is the best date ever," Scarlet tells him, truly on the verge of tears.

She looks up at him and the proud grin on his face. He knows that he succeeded in the dating game. Everything about Wolf is handsome. Those strong shoulders, those bright and gentle eyes she gets lost in... Her heart flutters and she feels warm just looking at him.

"Scarlet," Wolf says, "quit staring at me or you'll miss the best part: Thorne leaving a bunch of questions blank."

Scarlet applauds. Thorne looks at her and Wolf, glaring at the two of them.

-o-

Cinder dials Iko's number. She has yet to tell Iko about the letter that Jacin sent Winter. It's just so she and Kinney, when Iko informs him because she definitely will, can know that Jacin did communicate with Winter about running away even if it was vague. On the topic of what the letter said, well, Cinder isn't exactly sure.

 _Iko: Uh, Cinder? You there?_

Cinder snaps back into reality. "Yeah, sorry, just thinking."

 _Iko: About?_

Cinder clears her throat. "Jacin wrote Winter a letter. It didn't really say much as to why he ran away but he doesn't want Winter to tell his parents about the letter."

 _Iko: Well, duh, that defeats the whole purpose of running away to begin with._

Cinder rolls her eyes. "I'm just trying to keep you updated on my end."

 _Iko: And I thank you for that._

-o-

Kai walks down the hallway of his house, munching an apple as one thought stays resident in his mind: Cinder Blackburn. He can't deny that there was something attractive about that girl besides her obvious good looks. Aside from the spunky wit and way with tools, he just couldn't keep his mind off of from her. There was also the mysterious aura that came with her. Cinder seemed to be pretty open but Kai can't help but have a feeling in his gut that she has an elusive backstory. Besides, she is a Lunar girl straight from the infamous town of Artemisia who lives with her aunt and her step-cousin. Surely, there was an interesting story behind that.

They have been on a few dates (more like two but Kai likes to believe it's been more) and have been together in their group of friends. Still, there was something more intimate about being alone with her, even if their first time alone together was when he barely knew her and she ran off yelling another boy's name - a boy who he later learned was Winter's boyfriend.

That memory makes Kai sigh happily. Good times, good times.

Kai calls Cinder and holds the phone to his ear. As the phone rings, he takes a bite of his apple. Mid-chew, Cinder picks up.

 _Cinder: Hello?_

Flustered, Kai spits out the apple from his mouth and acts cool. He shouldn't have taken another bite but hopefully, Cinder didn't hear that.

"Hey," Kai says casually. "Look, I was thinking. Let's make this official."

 _Cinder: Are you proposing?_

Kai is speechless. What he said definitely sounded better in his head. He needs a way out of this but his silence and hesitation probably dug him way too deep. Then, he hears Cinder laugh which pulls him out of his hole.

"I'm proposing that we go out again," Kai says. Good save, good save.

 _Cinder: Sounds great. How about three hours from now? I'm not doing anything._

"Neither am I," Kai says, not even looking if he had anything to do.

 _Cinder: Great! Show up a minute late and you're going on a date by yourself._

Kai laughs. "I'll be a minute early just for you."

 _Cinder: Why is your dad asking Levana to work so late? Not that I'm complaining, I'm just curious and grateful._

Kai shrugs. "No idea. I can ask him."

Their call ends. Kai smiles proudly for being able to score himself another date. Before he gets ready, he decides to ask his dad what Cinder wanted to know. He leaves his room and heads to his dad's office where he is rummaging through a filing cabinet.

Kai smiles to himself, leaning against the door. His dad is always working hard for the two of them, especially after his mom died many years ago. Now, that the two of them were living on one household income, his dad was working harder than ever and despite that, the two of them have been closer than ever.

Kai softly knocks on the door to get his dad's attention.

"Dad," Kai says, "I'm going out with Cinder later."

"Fascinating," Rikan replies excitedly. "Be home by curfew."

"Oh, one more thing. Cinder wants to know why Levana is working later than usual."

Rikan sighs. "Kai, I think I'm going to step down from being mayor soon."

Kai is left stunned.

-o-

"What if I have to order those mocha-cappuccino-foam things?!" Cinder exclaims at Winter.

Winter smirks a little. "Order extra foam."

Cinder jokingly glares at her. Winter laughs a little.

Cinder decided to go to Winter for help for her date with Kai as to what outfit she should wear and how to do her hair. Winter knew that Cinder would never wear anything floral from her closet, so she offered some jeans and a grey flannel. Her hair was retied in its signature ponytail and she tied white converses on her feet.

Winter needed this distraction from all the Jacin drama going on, even if it took about twenty minutes for Cinder to get ready.

"My date's in half an hour so I better go," Cinder says. "Call me if you need anything or if something happens with Jacin."

"I will," Winter says.

Cinder starts to head out the door.

"Oh, Cinder!" Winter calls. Cinder peeks her head back Winter's doorway. "Bring me back a mocha-cappuccino-foam thing!"

Cinder smirks. "I even get extra foam for you."

Winter smiles to herself as she hears Cinder leave and locks the front door behind her. She's happy that Cinder is going out with a boy she likes. Back in Artemisia, Cinder had no romance. Back then, Winter and even Iko weren't sure if Cinder was interested in romance but now, Winter can say that Lunar boys weren't her cup of tea - or she should say, a cup of mocha-cappuccino-foam thing.

Winter hears her phone ring. She looks at the screen and sees an unknown number calling. Hesitant, Winter picks up and waits a few seconds before talking, hearing an uncomfortable static in her ears.

"Hello?" Winter says skeptically.

 _Unknown: Hey, Trouble._

Winter gasps. "Jacin?!"

* * *

 **As you can see, I like foreshadowing the next arcs in the current one.**

 **Please vote in the poll on my profile!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- How could Jacin's phone call with Winter go? And how will Cinder and Kai's date go?**


	37. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Seven

**I have literally finished writing this arc. Actually, it was finished a while ago.**

 ** _Warning_ \- there may be some triggering terms in the first part of this story.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Seven

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Winter can't believe it. Jacin is calling her. He really is. She is actually hearing his voice right now. The quality of the call isn't that good so he has to be calling from a burner phone he picked up along the way but still, he's really talking to her right now.

Her heart races rapidly as she tries to speak.

"Jacin..." She mutters. "Everyone's worried. Where are you right now?"

 _Jacin: I can't - anymore._

"Jacin, please, I don't understand."

 _Jacin: You - the drug for me. Something potent and addictive - caffeine that keeps me awake - ecstasy that keeps me happy - a cold pill that calms me down. You could - I can't beat that high._

Winter's heart is about to burst right out of her chest. "Jacin, what are you talking about? You're scaring me. Are you on drugs or something?"

 _Jacin: - a hold over me, you know it and I know it._

"Jacin?!"

There's no response. Winter yells his name repeatedly before seeing that the call died. Winter freezes as her phone sits in the palm of her hand. She tries calling back multiple times but nothing goes through. Tears well up in her eyes as she tries to understand the remnants of that choppy phone call. Winter screams before running out the door.

Flashes of her last days in Artemisia flash in her mind as her steps quicken. The haze fills her mind as that one voice yells for her help before it bit the dust. The blood that stained her hands, poured from her scars when they were fresh, and then appeared everywhere around her. She knows that this time, she could save Jacin and she needs to.

She may not be sane but she sure is sentimental.

-o-

 _Location Unknown_

Jacin walks through the airport, hood over his head as he tries to blend in with the crowd. Lucky for him, his corridor is packed with people headed the same way. His steps are quick yet casual to make it look like he isn't in a rush. His head is up and eyes look straight ahead. He just needs to resemble a casual traveler just until -

"Sir."

Jacin stops walking and sees the customs officer that has stopped him. He remains silent, unsure of how to handle this situation. He secretly hopes that he dropped something a while back and was getting it returned.

"You have been selected at random for a secondary examination."

Jacin nods his head as he follows the customs officer. He quickly panics to himself since this was possibly not chosen "at random". What are the chances that out of all the people walking down the same path, he had to be picked? This was not his day.

Once he reaches the examination table, the customs officer stands on the other side. Jacin puts his bag, jacket, and sweatshirt on the counter before taking a step back to allow the customs officer to begin his search.

"What's your reason for traveling today?" The customs officer asks.

"Visiting my girlfriend," Jacin answers confidently. If he sounds even the slightest bit off or inconsistent, his entire story crumbles.

"Sounds romantic. How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"So, you're a student, right?" Jacin nods. "What school do you go to?"

"Andromeda Academy."

The customs officer nods as he continues searching Jacin's bag. Jacin remains still despite his anxious heart trying to beat its way out of his chest. The fact that the officer isn't asking more questions makes him more nervous and Jacin tries his hardest not to show it. It means that the customs officer is thinking of possible plot holes to his alibi.

The customs officer takes out the passport and compares the photo with him in real life. The blue hair is the obvious difference but it's shrugged off since he's a teenager. Jacin crosses his arms casually. The customs officer zips up Jacin's bag, giving Jacin a feeling of relief.

"Andromeda Academy..." The customs officer mutters. "That's the best and most prestigious military school in the country and possibly the world."

Jacin nods as he's granted permission to put his sweatshirt and jacket back on.

"So, tell me this, Cadet Clay," the customs officer asks, "if you're on leave from military school, where are your legal papers?"

Jacin is left without words because he doesn't have any. He did not think this part through.

"Follow me into further questioning."

Jacin knows he's in trouble now. Nothing good ever comes out of further questioning because that's when stories fall apart.

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

"You're late," Kai tells Cinder.

Cinder gives him a look as she stands beside his seat. Kai looks up at her with a cheeky grin and Cinder's glare breaks as she laughs. It was only a few minutes, not even double digits.

"I am not late," Cinder argues. "I just showed up after you."

"Oh, sure, Cinder," Kai responds sarcastically. "Whatever pleases you."

"You know what they say, 'happy wife, happy life.'"

"We're not at that stage."

Cinder snickers. "We sure argue like we are."

Kai laughs. As he settles down, he offers Cinder a seat and she sits across the table from him. Cinder quickly glances at the menu set before her as she scoots her chair in, and is glad not to see a mocha-cappuccino-thing as an option. She sees actual edible foods and drinks that she knows the words of. It was such a relief for her.

"You look great," Kai tells her.

Cinder can feel her cheeks tinge with a little blush. "Thanks, so do - "

Cinder looks at Kai's outfit and sees that he's wearing a gray flannel like she is. She looks under the table and sees that he's in jeans and white converses. Cinder sits back up awkwardly which Kai notices. That prompts Kai to look under the table and he notices the elephant in the room immediately.

"Well..." Kai mutters.

"I guess we're one of _those_ couples..." Cinder says before turning red after the realization that she called her and Kai a couple.

Kai only grins in response. Not only do they argue like they're married but they unconsciously coordinate their outfits. He likes it and she seems like she does too from behind her menu.

They're going to be together forever. They're already bounded together by their outfits.

-o-

Across the restaurant's street sits Cress, Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf on one bench. They all share one pair of binoculars to spy on Kai and Cinder's date since they were not only invested in the future of their relationship but they literally had nothing to do that was more interesting. Cress is currently the one looking through the binoculars.

"My favorite part was when the teacher marked the test in front of you," Scarlet tells Thorne, reminiscing on her date with Wolf.

"And when you failed," Wolf adds.

Scarlet and Wolf laugh at Thorne. He rolls his eyes, hating them both at the moment. That test was not his best moment and he hated that they saw that. If only he aced that test to make Scarlet and Wolf look stupid and feel like they wasted their time, but the stars were never in his favor and frankly, neither were the tests. To distract himself from his misery, Thorne takes the binoculars from Cress just so he won't have to look at Scarlet and Wolf laughing at him.

"Hey!" Cress exclaims, taking them back. She focuses back on Cinder and Kai. "They're literally wearing the same outfit."

Wolf takes the binoculars. "Oh, my stars..."

Thorne takes them. "Aces, they're going to be one of those couples for sure."

Scarlet takes them. "Only they could pull this off."

Cress sighs happily. "I ship this so hard. What's happening now?"

"They're laughing," Scarlet explains as she continues watching through the binoculars. "Now, it's idle chitchat as they browse the menus."

"They should get the nachos," Thorne says. "That place has the best nachos in Commonwealth."

"On a date?" Cress cringes a little. "That's so messy."

"Nothing says I love you like a plate of comfort food like nachos."

Cress cringes even more now at Thorne. He huffs a laugh as he nudges her playfully. He would so buy her nachos for the two of them to share just to prove his point that nothing is more romantic than some cheesy and gooey nachos.

"Oh, my stars!" Scarlet exclaims, looking closer. "What is Winter doing there?!"

* * *

 **Jacin's in trouble...pretend I sang that in that tune. You should know what tune I'm talking about. But hey, that Kaider date is cute. I promise, their relationship will develop more.**

 **Please visit the poll on my page!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Will Winter get to Jacin on time?**


	38. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Eight

**Wow. This is part eight already. I thought we were only on the fifth.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Eight

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Wolf takes the binoculars and looks at the date being interrupted by Winter. He tries to get a closer look at their facial expressions to see if he could get some indication of what's going on in that restaurant. All he could get is panic and worry that will lead up to chaos. That would not look good for anyone. He really wishes he had some sort of audio context of that situation.

"It looks like an emergency..." Wolf hypothesizes. "But, yes, Winter is cock-blocking them."

"Winter would be the best cock-block out there," Thorne says. "It's like, yeah, you're disappointed that your date is being interrupted but you can't be that mad since it's Winter. She's as beautiful as she is interesting."

Thorne thinks his reasoning is logical. He even glances at Wolf who's agreeing even though he's still looking through the binoculars. Thorne looks at the girls and he doesn't need the binoculars to see their stabbing glares (Scarlet's resembling a butcher's cleaver and Cress' a plastic knife). Neither grimace seems to faze Thorne in any way whatsoever since only Wolf could scare the stars out of him.

"Boys are all the same," Scarlet says, not surprised at all. "They think with their dicks."

"Agreed," Cress says.

"Winter is hot and there's no denying that," Thorne argues. While that is a valid point and both Scarlet and Cress agree, it's not helping him.

"Are you done fantasizing Cadet Clay's girlfriend, Ex-Cadet Carswell?" Cress questions.

Thorne tries to get mad at Cress for calling him that (despite it being the current name of their group chat) not only because that's a stab at his pride but his stupid first name was said aloud. Oh, how Cress can poke at his bubble with that cute face of hers.

"I haven't even started," Thorne replies playfully.

Cress rolls her eyes.

-o-

Kai and Cinder stare at Winter in a dumbstruck shock at her presence and appearance. They didn't expect her and she looked like a wreck. Her hair is unkempt, mascara runs down her cheeks, and her entire body was shaking like a bomb about to explode. Cinder and Kai are worried about what could have caused this, and other people in the restaurant are staring at this emotional wreck of a girl.

"Winter," Cinder says softly, "just take a seat, have some of my food and then tell me what happened."

Winter remains standing. "I think Jacin's on drugs, Cinder. He called me and just kept on talking about them. I have to save him! I can't have a repeat of the beach party, Cinder, I need to get to him."

It takes Cinder a while to wrap her head around all that Winter said. She couldn't process the fact that Jacin called her let alone the drugs. It was the mention of the beach party that threw Cinder off the most. Those memories of the last days in Artemisia were buried for many reason. Kai, on-the-other-hand, isn't exactly sure what's going on as of right now.

"Winter..." Cinder mutters. "Calm down and breathe. Overreacting will not solve your problems."

Winter screams like an anguished animal. The restaurant goes silent as do the other people.

"No, Cinder, I can't!" Winter yells.

Before Cinder could get another word in, Winter runs out of the restaurant. Cinder gets up and watches from the inside for a second. She starts to run off as well but stops in her tracks when she remembers that she's on a date. Cinder spins on her heel to face him again and she skids back to the table.

"Look," Cinder starts, "I like you, I really do and me running off again looks really bad but I have to do this. Winter is my family and when you love someone, you share their problems as much as you share their joy."

Cinder turns around again and starts heading out. Kai smirks to himself, admirable about her, as he stands up and brushes himself off.

"Cinder, wait," he calls.

Cinder turns around again. "I'm sorry, Kai, I really am. The way I was raised by Levana was that you could do whatever you want as long as you say sorry which is ironic since she never apologizes but I'm not her so, I'm sorry."

She goes to leave again. Kai rolls his eyes with a small laugh.

"Cinder, look at me for a second."

Cinder turns around again. She sees Kai take out his wallet and drop some bills on their table. Cinder looks up at him a bit confused by his actions.

"What are you still doing here?" Kai questions. "I'll be right behind you."

Cinder smirks, knowing that she picked the right boy to have a crush on. She takes one last bite of her sandwich and drink of water as a kick-starter for energy as they both run out to start following Winter at top speed. This was yet again, the second moment for them that ends with running because of Jacin.

-o-

"Pass those," Thorne says.

He takes the binoculars from Wolf and looks through them. He sees Winter run out of the restaurant, eventually followed by Cinder and then Kai. All of them running at top speed as if they were racing towards something.

"That doesn't seem right..." Thorne mutters.

"And we don't need binoculars to do see that," Scarlet says, taking them from Thorne and throwing them over her shoulder. She stands up. "C'mon, let's go after them."

"I can't run that fast," Cress says.

"Who cares," Wolf says. "You'll eventually catch up to Kai."

The four of them start running the same way, hoping to catch up to the others. They pick up speed as they hear Cinder and Kai call out Winter's name repeatedly. Eventually, Wolf outruns the other three, leaving them behind to catch up to Winter faster.

"With that speed, how did he never catch me?!" Thorne questions.

Scarlet and Cress roll their eyes.

Up ahead, Winter continues sprinting. She never knew she could run so fast. People in her way throw themselves to the sides and their curses just blow past her. She doesn't hear or acknowledge anything that will get in the way for her to find Jacin. Adrenaline is a powerful thing when it courses through your veins. It's uncontrollable, especially when your body is already in overdrive.

Winter sees a crosswalk up ahead that has about five more seconds left before it turns red for her. Once she reaches the cross, it's in its final two seconds but she still runs through. It turns red halfway through her run and cars honk, even though they have to let her finish crossing.

"Cinder, stop!"

Cinder skids just before the road. She pants heavily as someone else whizzed past her, running right through the red light and causing a strew of angry drivers to honk. Cinder doesn't know who that could have been. Her first guess is Kai but she doesn't believe that he could outrun her.

Even though this red light gives Winter more time to run ahead and Cinder a delay, it gives Cinder time to catch her breath because her sides burn like fire...which further remind her of the beach party and where Winter started to lose her mind.

-o-

 _Location Unknown_

Jacin sits in a cubicle with a table separating him from the customs officer who sits on the other side. He knows that this is where everything could go wrong for him, especially since the officer knows that he's a cadet without the legal paperwork for him to travel.

"Cadet Jacin Clay, am I right?" The customs officer asks, already knowing the answer to that question.

"Yes," Jacin replies as the customs officer begins typing on his computer.

The customs officer runs Jacin's name through the database. Jacin sits back relaxed. He has nothing to worry about. He knows that the customs officer will be looking for 'missing children' reports of some sorts and there won't be any. The best part of being a Lunar, especially from Artemisia, is that nobody would put anything out in the public that made them look bad; and nothing would be worse for his father than to have a story saying that his own son ran away from his military school. All that mattered in Artemisia were the statuses and the secrets that kept them so high.

"So, your father gave you permission to travel here without paperwork?" The customs officer asks.

"Yes," Jacin replies, lying right through his teeth.

"Why do you not have the paperwork?"

"My dad is the dean. I don't need paperwork to confirm a father-son relationship."

"Aside from the explicit issues with that, you said you were visiting your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"What's her name?"

"Winter Hayle-Blackburn."

The customs officer nods, sitting back in his chair and folding his hands together. He mutters Winter's last name again before sitting erect again, discarding his thoughts on her last name.

"Write down her number."

Using a nearby pen and notepad, Jacin writes down Winter's cell number. The customs officer dials the number and Jacin can hear the receiver ring. There's no pick up the first time so he calls again. This makes Jacin nervous. If Winter doesn't pick up, then he is definitely screwed. Sure, Winter might not be up-to-date on his alibi but she'll play along. He's sure of it.

However, by the third call attempt, it still goes straight to voicemail.

* * *

 **If I had to chase Winter like that, I would actually die. I am not physically fit at all.**

 **Also, that beach party that was mentioned in the middle will be told further in detail in a future arc.**

 **Please vote in the poll on my profile!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Will Winter be able to get to Jacin wherever he is? Or will Jacin be sent home first?**


	39. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Nine

**Get ready for a beautiful explosion of fluff for so many reasons.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Nine

Kai and Cinder continue to rest at the crossing light, waiting for it to turn green. They are both grateful and anxious that this light was taking forever to change: grateful because they were tired and needed a breather, and anxious because Winter will keep on running and they'll have no clue where she went the mire time she has to gain some distance. The two of them hear people approaching so they turn around only to surprisingly see Thorne, Cress, and Scarlet.

"Look, Cress, we caught up to Kai," Thorne says, panting.

Cress cheers a little as Kai glares at him. Now was not the time for remarks on his nom-athlectism. He doesn't even question how or why they're here since that thought doesn't even cross his mind possibly due to the lack of oxygen.

"Aces, what are you all doing here?!" Cinder asks them.

Thorne, Cress, and Scarlet pause, unsure of what to say. A response along the lines of 'spying on your date' was not the best answer. It was a blunt one, but not the best. Cinder has to keep her focus on Winter, not them.

"Chasing Winter, duh," Scarlet states as if it was obvious. Cress and Thorne nod along to that.

Cinder doesn't further question mostly because she doesn't care. She looks up at the red light and taps her foot frustratedly, wondering when the damn light will turn green.

"Look, Cinder," Kai says, turning her away from the light that might never change. "We might never get a chance to do this and I want to do this right. I want to make this official. I want to be able to call you my girlfriend."

Cinder looks at him shocked. Thorne, Cress, and Scarlet have the same expression. Kai stands his ground because he was serious about that despite his blotchy face at the moment. Kai rarely gets flustered and this time, it wasn't because of all the running.

"I want that too," Cinder says.

"You do?" Kai questions just to make sure. He wants to make sure the lack of oxygen wasn't making him hallucinate.

Cars stop and the light turns green. Without answering, Cinder turns around and starts running again.

"Green light!" Cinder yells. "Come on, boyfriend!"

-o-

He almost got hit by a car back there but it was all worth it since it gave him the adrenaline he needed to catch up to Winter. Wolf never expected Winter to have so much speed in her, thinking that all those curls on her head would cause some drag. She was once so far ahead and now he's on her tail. Calling her name repeatedly did nothing since she didn't even turn her head.

Wolf has no choice but to take Winter down. He leaps forwards and brings her down on a lawn of grass up ahead. Winter screams and struggles against his arms, even clawing him. Wolf holds her wrists and uses his strength against her own.

"Winter!" Wolf yells. "It's me!"

Winter looks up at him and calms down a little even though she's still rattled and distressed.

"My boyfriend needs me," Winter tells him. "I think he's in danger but I won't know for sure until I get there. Wolf, you'd do the same for Scarlet. You have before."

That makes Wolf pause. Thinking back to when the Wolf Pack kidnapped Scarlet, he did go after her. And he drove almost as fast and reckless as Winter's run. That's what he knows to be love. Wolf loosens his grip on Winter and helps her up because if there's one thing he is besides in love, it's not a hypocrite.

"Get on my back," Wolf tells her.

Winter nods. She jumps on his back and he starts sprinting for her. Winter howls excitedly as she holds on tight.

-o-

Wolf lets Winter off his back at the airport which is where she led him. He has no idea why they're here and it looks like she doesn't either. She looks overwhelmed. Wolf turns around and sees everyone else show up, exhausted up to the point where they will drop dead. Half of them lie down on the seats, gasping for precious air.

"Really, Wolf?!" Thorne exclaims. "It was bad enough chasing Winter and then we had to chase you! You'd think that constantly running from you would put me in better shape."

Wolf glances at Scarlet. "Winter is very persuasive."

Scarlet grabs Winter's arm. "Winter, what's your plan from here?!"

Winter pauses, realizing that she doesn't have one. She has no passport, money or a destination. She feels defeated.

Scarlet runs her arm where she grabbed it. "Winter, you're seventeen. You're going to have a heart attack before you live the full extent of your life."

Winter starts to sob. Cinder goes forward to hug and console her step-cousin, rubbing her back tenderly. Everyone else stands around for support, feeling bad that they couldn't do anything more to help Winter and they all hope that Jacin isn't actually in any kind of danger.

 _Announcer: The next flight heading for Artemisia will now be boarding._

Cinder and Winter perk up at the sound of their old town. They look around for some reason and hear a boy's voice protesting against something. Winter mutters some inaudible words in recognition of that voice. She feels her inner spirits replenish themselves as she runs over to the sound of resistance.

Winter plows through people in the airport. They all curse at her but she couldn't care less. Her friends follow close behind and the same occurs. Winter looks ahead and sees his face in the distance, sandwiched between two customs officers.

It's him. It's really him. It's no hallucination and she knows it.

"Jacin!" Winter exclaims.

Her feet are on clouds as she runs over. She sees Jacin's eyes open wide as he breaks free from his restraints to join her. Winter throws her arms around him and slides her hands from his shoulders to his neck. She pushes herself onto her toes and presses her lips against his, running her fingers through his soft hair while she feels herself relax into the warm, sweet, long overdue kiss. He's so gentle and mindful and takes his hand down a caressing stroll along her back.

"I wasn't expecting you..." Winter mutters to him.

Jacin gives the customs officers a look and they dismiss him since his girlfriend does exist. He puts his focus back on Winter, not letting her go.

"Just blessing you with my presence," he replies with a hint of sass.

As his body melts into hers, he smells the soothing apple fragrance she always wears. Being with her always makes him feel better, no matter what's going on. He just needed her. Winter looks up at him but when the dark thoughts come back to him, he looks down and away from her eyes.

"I just, I didn't know what to do..." He mutters.

"So, you ran away because you didn't know what to do? In what way does that make sense?! Jacin, talk to me," Winter encourages. "Look at me and not the ground."

"You're all that I'm confident in!" Jacin exclaims, looking directly into her eyes. "All I know is that making you my girlfriend was the best decision of my life. With that in mind, I don't want to write letters to you anymore."

Winter pauses for a second. "...what?"

"I don't want to write you some words in ink that I can and should tell you with my voice. I need to see you, Winter, hear you. I can't formulate my emotions that well but, spades, it's just hard. It's hard but I want to get to that point where it becomes easy."

Winter smirks a little, then it disappears. "...Jacin. That phone call you did. Are you on drugs?"

Jacin eyebrows wrinkle in confusion. "What? Of course not. I'm only addicted to you. I love you with an intensity I can barely feel."

"Oh, thank the stars."

Jacin laughs a little as he cups her face and kisses her again. She wraps her arms around her shoulders and sways in his hold on her. The others watch from close by, all with stupid smiles of glee on their faces. Scarlet and Wolf hold hands, Cress leans against Thorne, and Kai and Cinder embrace the moment.

Cinder exhales, unaware that she was holding her breath. (Maybe it was because she has never heard Jacin say so many words in one sitting).

"That was a lot," Cinder says. "I think I might cry."

Cress weeps. "I already am!"

"Me too," Thorne adds.

Jacin and Winter part from their kiss. Winter cries, this time from pure happiness. Jacin wipes her tears away and a small laugh escapes her mouth.

"I don't know what to say," Winter admits.

Jacin shrugs it off. "You don't have to say anything. I didn't say it for a response but because I wanted to. I apologize for all the problems this must have caused because of me."

"And you call me Trouble." She laughs a little. Jacin pulls her close and quickly kisses her cheek. "Okay, look, we'll deal with the obvious issues later but for now..." She turns him to her friends. "Meet everyone! Half of them are Lunars!"

Cinder goes over to hug Jacin. "That's Scarlet, Wolf is her Lunar boyfriend, Cress is also Lunar, you probably remember Ex-Cadet Carswell Thorne, and that's my boyfriend, Kai."

Cinder admits that she likes calling Kai that. Kai feels the same way. Thorne hates his introduction but he doesn't complain since Cinder totally did that on purpose. Jacin shakes hands with all of them, staring at Thorne for a few seconds longer since he does remember him from long ago.

"You have a boyfriend?!" Winter and Jacin exclaim at once, Winter's excited and Jacin's confused.

Cinder nods. "I have a boyfriend and Jacin has blue tips and new emotions. It's a new day for all of us."

"I really have to explain all this," Jacin says about his presence in Commonwealth.

"Well," Cinder mutters, "it'll be the worst an maybe your last day."

* * *

 **You are very welcome for the Kaider and Jacinter feels.**

 **Please visit the poll on my page!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Now that Jacin's here what could his consequences be?**


	40. Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Ten

**For the person who asked what the poll on my profile is, it literally says what it's for. I have a bunch of stories ready to be published and I'm just asking my readers which stories they would want to see first. I have a Lunar Chronicles OS as well but that's going up on a specific date.**

* * *

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part Ten

After all the chaos at the airport, they all went their separate ways to relax after having solved the Jacin dilemma. Winter and Cinder bring Jacin back to their place. When they open the door, they see Levana standing at the base of the staircase with the letter Jacin wrote in her hands. She narrows her eyes at the three of them and for a moment, they think that Levana is going to kill them.

"Cinder," Levana orders, "go to the next room."

Cinder nods without any objection. On her way out, she mouths Winter and Jacin a good luck. When it's only the two of them, they both put on their brave faces that are wrapped with 'we honestly have no explanation for all this' as their fingers lace tightly with each other's.

"Levana," Jacin starts, "Winter had no idea about any of this. This is all my fault."

"I know," Levana responds, referring to the letter in her hands. "I spoke with your parents and they will be allowing you to stay for a bit but only if you speak to them soon."

Winter and Jacin did not expect Levana to be so accepting about this. Then again, she really has nothing to be angry about. And if there was mischief to occur that wasn't against Levana per se, she would be more proud than pissed.

"I will accommodate him but you're sleeping in the guest room," she tells him.

"Thank you, Levana," Jacin says.

Levana scoffs a smirk. "I'd do anything for the people who build high, strong fences since those are the people who survive the best."

"So, you're not mad?" Jacin asks her just to be sure.

"Of course not. Everyone's first priority should be themselves."

Levana turns around and sashays out of the room. Jacin and Winter look at each other, unsure of what just happened but Levana's sass, though expected, was still shocking. Despite that, they were still stoked to be able to spend time together.

"Why is Levana considered bad again?" Jacin questions.

"Her niceness is sugar-coated with evil," Winter responds.

-o-

Jacin sits in Levana's office. On the computer in front of him is his parents over video chat. Jacin knew he had to do this but looking at the state of his parents and knowing that he caused this makes him feel guilty. Both of them look like they haven't slept in days and Jacin just wants to slink back in the chair and disappear all over again. He couldn't bear this but had to.

"I'm sorry," Jacin tells his parents wholeheartedly. "I was getting stressed at school because I realized for myself that I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. That's the type of decision you're supposed to make now and I can't. I'm heading down the path of being a soldier and I'm not sure if I want to be that. Dad, I'm a Clay but not a clay soldier. I don't feel like I was made for the army and you can't mold me into so."

 _Garrison: I get it, Jacin, but you could've just spoken with us instead of running away._

Jacin knows that his parents have the point there. He could've just had a conversation instead of an escape plan. He only thought he had when he left Andromeda Academy was that the best way to love someone is not to change them, but instead, to help them reveal the greatest version of themselves.

 _Clarissa: What the stars were you thinking when it came to running away?! It could have been a horrible decision!_

"If nobody from the future came to stop me, then how bad of a decision could it really have been?" He asks jokingly.

It was a joke but his parents don't laugh. Their faces remain somber and serious. He secretly applied to Peking School of Medicine, which he already told Winter and was planning to tell his parents in person when he would return home since a reaction to that would be better to see in person rather than on a screen.

"It may have been an outrageous choice, but consider this, Mom: most choices we make in life are equally dangerous," he tells her.

 _Clarissa: I understand, Jacin. Look, your father and I still have a lot to say but you must be tired where you are. Your father and I will contact you soon._

 _Garrison: And we'll ship you some clothes since your mother and I spoke with Levana and we all agreed to let you stay there and clear your head for a bit._

Jacin looks up in shock. "Really?! Thank you both so much! I love you guys."

Eventually, after another set of sentiments and farewell, the call ends. Jacin leans back in the chair, satisfied with the way this all turned out. Sure, some things still have to be ironed out but for now, it's all good.

Slowly, Winter peeks her head in. Jacin gestures her inside and she comes, making her way around the desk and sitting on the ledge in front of Jacin.

"Iko and Kinney called," Winter tells him. "They're glad that you're safe and were entertained by the rumors that spread about you."

"I was once not noticeable in that building and now I'm the center of attention," Jacin states. He laughs in a huff. "Wow, now I'm never going back."

Winter laughs along with him as she runs her hands through his hair. Their laughing dims down and now they're just staring at one another. Her hands rest on his broad shoulders and he puts his hands on top, holding hers.

"This was all really brave of you," Winter tells him.

Jacin scoffs. "Or really stupid."

-o-

As a way of punishment towards them (for Jacin running away and Winter and Cinder not telling Levana about the letter), Levana made them go make their own dinner or go out to get it themselves. To be fair, it was and was not a punishment at the same time and Levana damn well knew that. What Winter and Cinder were going to do about dinner was the obvious: take Jacin to The Rampion. It was a given that they were going to do that.

"I should've mentioned this earlier but I really like the blue hair," Cinder tells Jacin as they enter the Rampion.

Before Jacin could answer, he, like Cinder and Winter once were, had to take a moment to appreciate and be amazed by the space-like restaurant. He returns to reality, still keeping that childlike awe in his eyes. Cinder and Winter grin as they take him to the table where all their friends are, even Scarlet who isn't working today.

"I think I'm just going to cut off the blue," Jacin tells them as they sit down.

"You should have Thorne do it," Cress says. "He cut mine."

"I'm thinking of trademarking it as Carswell's Cuts," Thorne says like a prophet.

Everyone cringes at the thought of Thorne as a hairdresser. They have nothing against the profession in any way but they just didn't want to think about the possibility of Thorne having a pair of scissors by their heads.

"So, you two came from Luna?" Jacin asks Cress and Wolf. They both nod. "Where from?"

"Anemone," Cress responds first. "You know, that city with the reputation of having people who's heads were always in the sky."

Cress makes a smoking gesture with her hands and everyone laughs uncomfortably. Nobody would've guessed that Cress came from the town of smokers and druggies.

"That town is so pretty though," Winter says.

"I'm from Enyo, the ghetto," Wolf says. "I don't really have any memories from there since I moved here when I was born."

Honestly, they all sort of saw that coming. Luna was really a remarkable country in many and every way possible. Its diversity could be a story of its own.

Scarlet suddenly lights up and slams her palms on the table, startling everyone.

"Jacin!" Scarlet exclaims. "Tell us how Thorne got kicked out of military school!"

"Oh stars no..." Thorne begs to Jacin.

"Oh stars yes!" Everyone else exclaims.

"C'mon," Kai encourages, "you know you really want to tell us."

He really does. As Jacin looks at his options, he smirks to himself.

* * *

 **And that ends Jacin's arc! He will have a bigger part in the next arc. Speaking of the next arc, it really turns the story around. Feel free to guess who it is.**

 **Please visit the poll on my profile!**

 **I will be taking another break. I should be back around May/June.**


	41. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part One

**I'm back and with a new arc. I'm not even done with exams and yet I still showed up because I finished writing this arc last night (I honestly cannot study biology - this story is much more important to me). That and I know you all were excited and needed an update.**

 **Just a fun fact - this arc was hard to name (the previous names for this were way worse, by the way). Also, this arc was hard for me to write and in a chapter close to the end, I did bawl my eyes out while writing. Some of its plot points hit right at home and I will explain them along the way if you wish. Just leave me a review and I will respond either directly to you or as an author's note.**

 **Anyways, this arc is Kai's and a lot of you were able to guess that. You all were able to guess that it's Kaider.**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part One

Kai sits in class, resting his head on his prepped-up arm, watching the slides on the slideshow change. His teacher's words go in one ear and out the next but stop when a familiar one is repeated at a growing volume.

"Kai!"

Kai snaps back into reality and sees his teacher and all of his classmates staring at him. He feels embarrassed only because it seems as if he has been called for at least five minutes and just tuned in now. He looks at his teacher and mumbles an awkward apology as he straightens up in his seat.

"You've been called down to the office," his teacher tells him. "They said to bring all your stuff since you're being signed out."

Kai nods as he quietly closes his books and puts them in his bag. The classroom is stark silent as he exits the classroom. As Kai walks towards his locker, he wonders why he would be signed out of class since he has no appointments of any kind scheduled for today. When he turns to enter his locker combination, he realizes that he passed his locker and has to shuffle back.

Sometimes, his thoughts will literally remove him from reality.

Kai has actually been off of his game lately ever since his father said that he was going to possibly resign from being mayor soon. Then, Cinder became his girlfriend later that same day. In essence, his life changed so much so fast.

Kai grabs his jacket from his locker and walks over to the main office. He expects to see his dad there signing him out, but instead sees Konn Torin (or simply Torin), his dad's always serious, always regal assistant and their family friend. This worries Kai even more, especially since Torin hasn't made eye contact with or smiled at him ever since he walked in. Torin just takes Kai and escorts him out of the school towards his car. Once the car starts driving, Kai's questions just pour out all at once.

"Where are we going?" Kai starts. "Where's my dad? Why are you here?"

Torin takes a quick breath. "We're going to the hospital."

Kai freezes for a second at the sound of those words. "Why? Is my dad okay?"

"Your father just collapsed at work. One minute, we were talking and the next, he was coughing and spitting blood."

"Blood?!"

-o-

Kai was numb even before they reached the hospital. Torin had to guide him through the crowded sectors of the emergency room where the smell of antiseptic the sound of whirring machines and doctors blinded his senses. Torin placed Kai next to his father where he sat and didn't react in any way.

Kai's father, Mayor Rikan of Commonwealth, was still conscious which gave Kai a glimmer of hope. His dad was still alive, he was still fine, everything is going to be okay.

It wasn't until a doctor came in and asked Kai for his father's medications. Kai nods and reaches over for his father's briefcase to take them out. While there, Kai notices that beneath the paperwork is his mother's journal. That's what prompts Kai to actually start crying. He lost his mother and now he could possibly lose his father.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mayor Rikan," the doctor says, lowering his glasses and the paperwork in his hands. "The sickness has already spread - "

Kai couldn't listen anymore as he lowered his head and slumped down in his seat. He feels his father's hand on his back and looks back up to face him. All Kai sees in him is the weakness, pain, and defeat; he notes the sadness, fear, and guilt.

Torin exits the room with the doctor as they continue to discuss possible treatment methods, leaving Kai alone with his father.

"I should have told you earlier," Rikan mutters to Kai.

"No," Kai responds weakly, "you shouldn't have and you don't have to feel bad about it either. Guilt is a waste of energy that you have been putting towards making yourself better."

-o-

They got dismissed from the hospital earlier that evening with a new set of prescription medications. Mayor Rikan automatically went to sleep and Kai stayed hidden in his room with only his desk lamp on. He hasn't changed from his school uniform nor has he opened his phone. There were too many missed calls and messages on it and he wasn't in the mood to explain all that just happened in the past few hours.

Even he didn't fully understand it but at least he now knows why his dad told him that he might step down from being mayor sooner or later.

He hates that he didn't notice sooner. He hates that he didn't ask how his dad was feeling and whatnot. He hates only finding out now when the sickness has spread. At least when this was happening to his mother, they kept him in the dark because he was only a child.

Kai looks on his desk and sees his late mother's journal which was in his father's briefcase and that he might have stolen just for comfort. Photos and videos aside, this was the best keepsake of his mother, Mariko, to ever exist. They showed her personality and thoughts; her voice could almost be heard as the narrator of what's written. It was almost, because she was gone for so long that Kai already forgot how her voice sounded.

Kai's memories of his mother varied: sometimes she would be rolling up pastry dough or putting dishes back in the cupboard, but she was mostly writing in this journal. Either way, she always looked well, lively, with no sign of the disease that took her from him and his father. Kai would always look at his mother's handwriting whenever he could and read the sentences she has written, and because he could not bear to feel sadness, he would feel impatient towards the flowery language and penmanship.

Kai opens the journal and feels an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia as the scent of the pages hit him. They smell like tea tree was always her scent. Now, he can't help but read the first entry his eyes fall onto.

 _'She was so pleased to hear that I was expecting a little boy since she already had a little girl. Oh, the fantasies that will come true through our children. Through law and possible arrangements, my son and her daughter will be married. It'd be the best fairytale to ever exist and actually come true. Every little boy has a sweetheart and I'm almost positive that my son will fall in love with her daughter and they will live happily ever after...'_

Kai pauses. His mother arranged or imagined for him to be married to someone else? Sure, he still has the right to marry whomever he wants but still, this is intriguing for him. A storm of conflicting emotions sweeps through Kai as he continues reading as much as he can about this mysterious girl in his mother's journal. He has to know as much as he can despite the thought of his girlfriend, Cinder, ringing at the very back of his mind.

It's the only thing that could distract him from worrying about his dad.

* * *

 **This escalated quickly but coming from experience, it all does happen fast and you're left with nothing but to just go with the flow and hope that it all happens your way.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- The word about Kai's father gets out and so does the word about the mystery girl.**


	42. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Two

**Guys, I am now finished high school. Actually, I was done yesterday and that was when I was going to update.**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Two

After the whole incident of Jacin running away from Andromeda Academy back in Luna, Jacin was allowed to stay in Commonwealth, The Earthen Union for a longer period of time than he originally had planned. His parents even sent him clothes since he barely packed any himself but he got the hint from how many clothes he got as to how long he should be staying. He also got sent PDFs of his assignments which he knows he's not going to look at.

As of right now, because Winter and Cinder are at school, Jacin is just sitting alone in the living room of the Blackburn Mansion, surfing through channels. Nothing interests him so he is incredibly bored.

He turns his head over his shoulder at the sound of Levana's heels clicking their way into the room. She is all dressed up for work in a crisp pencil skirt and matching top with a blazer. Her dark hair falls off her shoulders and her lips are a dark shade of red. She is striking and even Jacin can't object to that.

"Jacin," Levana starts, "since you have absolutely nothing to do, come help me at the office."

Jacin nods as he gets up and starts following Levana to her car. It isn't until the car is in motion that he starts asking her questions.

"Help with what?" Jacin asks.

"Moving boxes around," Levana lists, "organizing files, all that. I don't need you just lounging around here with your mind rotting away as you eat all my food."

Jacin stares at her. "Yes, Levana, that was _exactly_ what I had planned for the day."

Levana looks at him with a little smirk in her eyes. "You're a strange one, aren't you?"

"Iko has told me that several times."

"I happen to like the strange ones. People who look normal and live a normal life - they're the ones you have to watch out for. That is why you and Winter work so well together - you're both odd."

Jacin feels touched by that. That will forever be remembered by him as the nicest thing that Levana has ever said to him.

-o-

Meanwhile, at school, Cinder walks down the hallways and approaches her girls who stand in front of Scarlet's locker. They seem to be in the middle of a deep conversation so Cinder isn't sure if she should be butting in right now, but since they're all here, now is the best time.

"Have any of you heard from Kai?" Cinder asks.

They all shake their heads. Cinder leans against the neighboring locker in distress.

"We were just talking about Kai," Winter says to Cinder.

"What if he's being distant because he's going to dump me?" Cinder asks.

"That's ridiculous," Cress states in a comforting tone, "unless Kai is going to dump the whole school."

"He left halfway through yesterday," Scarlet tells Cinder. "He got signed out and just didn't show up today."

As Cinder, Cress, and Scarlet keep discussing Kai, Winter feels her phone vibrate on the inside of her skirt. She pulls it out and sees that it's a message from Jacin. Winter reads it and her jaw drops. She unconsciously lets out a yelp which captures the attention of the other girls.

"What happened?" Scarlet asks.

Winter turns her phone over so they could all read the text that Jacin sent.

 _Jacin: Go to any news outlet you can. Levana's giving a speech on Mayor Rikan and it's bad news._

-o-

 _Levana: - and I am deeply saddened to have to report that Mayor Rikan is severely sick. In terms of the future of Commonwealth, that will be decided by the mayor himself as well as his council through myself and Konn Torin. There will -_

"Turn that off," Wolf commands.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Wolf's car is Thorne, who turns off the radio that was broadcasting Levana's speech. They two of them decided to cut school the moment they heard the news about Kai's dad. They needed to be there for their friend.

Wolf pulls into Kai's driveway and the two boys step out of the car. They both walk to the front door and Thorne knocks. Almost instantly, Kai opens the door. They notice that he's still wearing his school uniform which was definitely from yesterday since he wasn't at school today.

"Dude," Thorne says, "we heard about your dad and just wanted to know if you and him were okay."

"Oh..." Kai mutters. "Yeah, he's fine, I'm fine, it's all fine."

"Is it?" Wolf asks, already knowing what the answer is.

"No..." Kai moans, leaning against the door for support.

Wolf holds onto the door so it doesn't swing back and forth as Kai rests his head on the doorknob. Thorne puts a hand on Kai's shoulder for support.

"My dad told me a while back that he was going to resign from being mayor," Kai mutters regrettably. "That was when I should've noticed something was wrong but for some reason, I just didn't ask. He loves being mayor and the people love him. And now, he's sick and it's spread to his lungs and - "

"Hey..." Thorne interrupts, saving Kai from eventually sinking in sadness. "How about we just grab a bite to eat somewhere and you could get some fresh air?"

Kai looks up with a small smile on his face, nodding his head. He steps out the door but Wolf puts his firm hand on his chest, stopping him. Kai gives Wolf a confused expression since Thorne offered to take him out.

"Change your clothes," Wolf orders.

Kai looks down at his day-old uniform before shuffling back into the house. Wolf and Thorne get back in the car and Wolf starts the engine. Kai steps out of the house in a new outfit and gets into the backseat. Wolf pulls out and they start heading down the road.

"There's more," Kai says. "I read the first page of my mom's journal and apparently she was friends with someone who had a daughter about our age. The thing is, my mother and this friend wanted me and her daughter to get married."

"What?!" Thorne exclaims. "That's crazy. Who is she?"

Kai shrugs. "All of the family friends that I know of don't have daughters my age. They're either way older or way younger."

"So, what about the girl is important?" Thorne asks. "Are you going to find her and marry her?"

"I don't know," Kai replies.

Wolf laughs a little, sounding like a hearty chuckle. "Dude, it was written on paper, not in stone. This is no fairytale. It's the real adult world in which missing princesses do not kiss frogs. You don't have to take that seriously."

"But I want to," Kai argues. "I want to know what kind of plan my mom had for me. I want to know who this girl is and how my mom knew her mom, whoever in the stars her mom is."

"I guess you could say that you have kai-nd of a legacy," Thorne says cheekily.

Thorne looks at Wolf and Kai for a reaction to his pun. Kai looks unamused with a cringe on his face and Wolf gives him the dirtiest glare ever. Thorne sits back, straightening up, and accepting his pun with pride. If anyone were to ask, it was an amazing pun for having been thought of on the spot.

"This isn't a bad thing," Thorne says, going back to the concept of the mystery girl. "You're only curious and it's technically not cheating on Cinder. You don't get anywhere in life without temptations. We can do whatever we want. In the end, we all live the life we choose for ourselves."

"Yeah..." Wolf says, nodding his head. "We'll help you find her. And in a way, you're getting to know your mom better."

Kai and Thorne nod. Now, they're all convinced that finding this mystery girl is a good idea. Nothing can really stop them at this point.

"I don't even have a name for this girl," Kai says. "I only read one entry."

"Read the rest," Wolf obviously prompts.

"There's a lot going on in my life right now," Kai says. "Let me take my time for a bit."

"And after you get a name, we'll use the Internet," Thorne says. "She's bound to be on social media somewhere."

-o-

For Kai, after hanging out with the boys, the rest of the day consisted of calls and text messages not only from Scarlet, Cress, and Winter but from everyone else in the city who had a soul. This really impacted Kai: not only were people so compassionate but it also showed how much his father has done not only for him but for the city.

Then, Kai looks up from where he's sitting outside of his house and sees her approaching him in the darkness. When she enters the light cast by the porch light, he sees Cinder. She isn't smiling, but she also isn't sad. Her emotion is somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. She takes a seat next to Kai, turning her legs towards him.

"Are you really okay?" Cinder asks him.

Kai shrugs. "I thought my life was over when my mom died. That's when I felt my world crumble to pieces and then for a moment, it all seemed to get better but as time passed, the pieces are breaking again."

"Trust me, Kai, it will all get better." She puts a hand on his leg. "And if it doesn't, I will do everything in my power to do so."

Kai looks at his girlfriend in a new light. He thinks about all that he knows about her and even though it isn't much, it is more than he knows about the girl in his mother's journal. Then, something about Cinder strikes him and he straightens up a little.

"Aces, Cinder..." Kai mutters. "Where are your parents?"

He remembered that Cinder lives with her aunt and step-cousin. Her parents are not in the picture and he doesn't remember her ever being asked where they were.

Cinder takes a sharp, tense breath at the sound of that question. She takes a moment to shake it off and look back at Kai.

"Don't worry about them," Cinder replies, patting the spot on his leg where she put her hand. "Put your thoughts off of me and aim them somewhere else."

Kai nods. Cinder's words replay in his head and give him the motive to kiss her which he does. It's their first kiss as boyfriend and girlfriend but that didn't change anything. Kai not only wanted this but he needed this.

The moment Cinder kisses him back is when his dream of her became the dominant force in his life. His instant reaction is to hold her skin and feel the warmth of her face against his own. It only takes seconds before her scent of freshly cut grass hits him stronger than the scent of tea tree from his mother's journal. It was intoxicating and Kai feels stuck in-between Cinder and the mystery girl is his mother's words.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Tensions start to build between Cinder and Kai, as they start to learn more about one another.**


	43. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Three

**When people already got you pot twist on the second chapter of this arc...**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Three

The next morning, Cinder sits at the kitchen island. She's fresh out of bed: still in her pajamas, hair messier than usual, and half-asleep. Her bowl of cereal is at risk of becoming soggy and the spoon is in her hand, but she isn't making any attempt to eat it. Her mind is not in the present, it's thinking about the kiss she had with Kai last night.

The kiss she and Kai shared sort of threw her off. The fact that she was asked about her parents right before left a sour taste in her mouth. However, the kiss itself almost didn't feel right from his end. Cinder felt as if Kai is hiding something from her, but she isn't a hypocrite when it comes to secrets. Besides, she doesn't know him all that well yet and the same goes for him to he - or a lot of people to her, for that matter.

Snapping back to reality, Cinder looks down and sees her bowl of cereal gone. She sees Jacin sitting across from her eating it and can't help but glare at him.

"It was getting soggy," Jacin tells her. "I was preventing a waste of food."

Jacin expected Cinder to roll her eyes and get her cereal back, but she does nothing. That surprises Jacin, notifying him that something is definitely wrong. The thing is, he isn't sure how to approach emotions, especially when they come from Cinder who he sometimes believes is a cyborg. The fact that Cinder is feeling things throws him off to the extreme.

"Is it Kai?" Jacin asks.

Cinder nods. Jacin is proud of himself for his smart question.

"Care to share?" Jacin prompts.

Cinder sighs. "I have a small feeling that we might not last."

"Because his dad is sick?"

"Because I come with a lot of baggage." Cinder leans forwards on the island so Jacin could get her point. "You know what I'm talking about when it comes to baggage. He asked about where my parents were and I just couldn't answer it because I sometimes can't bring myself to admit it. Levana told your parents when she married Winter's dad, and then I told Iko and Kinney when we were children which got Levana mad. I'm digressing - look, Kai and I had our first kiss last night and it wasn't - "

Cinder couldn't think of a word to use so she uses hand motions. Jacin is puzzled by her actions, unsure if she's guiding planes to land on the runway or playing the cymbals in a marching band. He just nods his head, pretending to have understood what Cinder means.

"First kisses are always weird," Jacin says reassuringly even though he had no clue what Cinder was trying to get at with her interpretive dance.

"Ours wasn't," Winter says, walking into the kitchen to join them. She grabs an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of the island to munch on. "What are we talking about?"

Jacin clears his throat. "Cinder thinks Kai is going to break up with her because their kiss lacked the - "

Jacin starts doing the same hand motions that Cinder did earlier but in more of a mocking way. Winter's jaw drops in pure confusion and Cinder's eyes shoot daggers at him as she starts mimicking him mimicking her. Winter is unsure of where to look. She turns around and sees Levana standing at the entrance of the kitchen with an utter look of disgust on her face.

"You children are pure embarrassments," Levana says to them. "And, Cinder, I didn't intend to eavesdrop on your conversation but you talk so loud when fired up. Take this to heart but I would be surprised if you and Kai broke up."

Cinder is taken aback by Levana's niceness. "You would?"

Levana nods. "More surprised than when you two started dating."

And of course, her kind words have a poisonous bite.

-o-

To get to the bottom of what is really up with Kai, Winter called Scarlet to see if Wolf knew anything. Winter's thought process when coming up with this plan was that boys call girls the gossips when they really keep the chatting to their own gender. Winter knew that Wolf knows a lot about people so he should definitely know what's up with Kai.

"Nope," Wolf states to a pleading Scarlet.

Scarlet grips his forearm and stands on her tiptoes. Her face is a few centimeters from his.

"Please?" Scarlet asks again.

"I'm not talking," he says firmly.

Wolf starts walking away from Scarlet. Scarlet stands on the spot, crossing her arms as she tries to think of a new tactic to get Wolf to spill. She initiates the first plan that comes to her mind.

Scarlet starts sprinting in Wolf's direction. Once close enough, Scarlet pounces into his back. Wolf yells, stumbling for a bit before he regains his balance and repositions Scarlet into a piggyback. Scarlet laughs a little to herself as Wolf grunts. Although if anyone were to ask him, he was totally loving this.

"Spades, Scarlet..." Wolf curses.

"I know you don't care about much but you care much about your friends, _your new pack_ , and that's all that matters, right?"

Scarlet leans forwards so that her head is beside his. She tries pouting her lip at him. Wolf looks at her through his peripheral vision and gives her a disapproving look. He has to give it to her though, calling their social circle as his new pack put a scratch on the ice.

"Really, Scarlet?" Wolf questions. "I'm not that weak."

Wolf still keeps her on his back though.

-o-

And just like Scarlet, Winter called Cress to do the same thing except to Thorne. One of the many differences between Wolf and Thorne was that Thorne was more weak-willed when it came to girls, especially if that girl's name was Crescent Moon Darnel. Unknowingly, Cress and Scarlet had similar tactics:

Cress pouts after asking Thorne nicely. She flutters her eyes as she looks right into his. Thorne takes a breath as he stares back at Cress, needing to make his hands into fists to keep himself together. He should look away from Cress to avoid seeing her pleading face, but his eyes can't help themselves but stare at that effortlessly beautiful sight. Thorne is shaking, almost at the point of cracking and spilling everything he knows, but after a deep breath and knowing that Wolf will kill him, he bucks up.

"No," Thorne states, his voice slightly shaky. "I am careful when it comes to secrets. Careful is my middle name, right after Suave and Darling."

"Ex-Cadet Captain Carswell Suave Darling Thorne, you are not careful," Cress replies honestly.

"Of course I am!" Thorne argues. "I'm also charming and irresponsible - spades, I mean irresistible."

Cress rolls her eyes with a small laugh. She has to admit that he's completely right. If anything, that statement alone was the embodiment of who Thorne is.

Thorne clears his throat. "Number one rule of best friends: there are certain things you never, ever say."

Cress nods. "Technically, if you think about it, there is really no such thing as a secret; everybody like to tell and everybody does tell. Even your thing with Kai isn't a secret since he told you and Wolf."

Thorne opens his mouth to rebuttal but realizes how Cress has a point. To avoid any further debate the could lead to the spillage of secrets, Thorne runs off. Cress yells at him and grunts when he gets away from her.

-o-

Cinder sits in her room, slumped in her desk chair. Her computer is open and is awaiting a video call. When Iko's face appears, not even that could bring the slightest smile to Cinder's face.

 _Iko: I know, I know everything. Jacin told me the story, hand motions and all._

Cinder rolls her eyes at that last part. "I hate him - Jacin, not Kai. I really, _really_ like Kai."

 _Iko: Wow, Cyborg Cinder has feelings._

Cinder rolls her eyes again and Iko laughs to herself.

 _Iko: I know, but Kai's going through a lot right now in terms of family and maybe he put your relationship on the back burner._

"I get that, Iko, but after that kiss, I couldn't help but think that maybe we won't last forever."

Cinder sees Iko raising her eyebrows and twiddling her fingers in a menacing way. Cinder is a bit bothered by it, especially now of all times. She came here for a soundboard and she got whatever the stars this is in return.

 _Iko: Oh, Cinder...you really have the hots for this boy, even if your first kiss with him didn't have all the -_

Cinder watches as Iko does those same damn arm motions. They really do look ridiculous. Cinder laughs a little at that as Iko bursts out laughing, needing to hold her sides. When the two of them settle down, Cinder thinks for a bit and realizes that she _really does_ have the hots for Kai Rikan.

* * *

 **I should really write more Cinder and Jacin sarcasm. I loved it so much.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Kai's family prepares for the worst to come while he has other goals in mind...**


	44. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Four

**So, your girl was in a bad mood because fake people absolutely suck, but coming here and updating or writing always makes me feel better. (And by 'your girl', I mean me. Just in case that needed to be clarified).**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Four

 _There she stands - wearing a lace white dress that covers her whole body except her neck. Her thin, dark hair falls out of the tight bun it was tied in. And now, it's flying around her. She turns to look at him, and it's almost like her gaze stopped time._

 _It's his mother. She's alive and she's well. Her smile is light, warm, maternal. She stretches her hand out for him to take, her fingers slightly curving for his to just fit into._

 _"Sweet dreams, Kai..." Her voice almost sings. "And don't be surprised if I make a cameo in it..."_

Kai suddenly wakes up and slowly rises, resting on his elbow but remaining on his side. He used to dream about his mother more when he was younger and his grief and memories of her were still fresh. Though the details of the dreams varied, the surprise and fruitfulness of them were always the same. He didn't expect to see her at all. This time, he is more shocked than ever that his mother made her cameo.

Kai feels his pillow and it's damp from the tears that fell from his face mid-dream. His fatigue is gone and he can't bring it to himself to go back to sleep. So, he gets up from bed and heads over to his desk. He turns on the lamp before taking a seat and pulls out his mother's journal. He opens it and turns to an entry he hasn't read yet.

 _"My baby boy lays in my lap and sleeps most of the way as I catch up on my sewing. Kai's fussing messed up my stitching but I bore it all with love."_

 _"He is remarkably independent, and it's scary what a strong character he has. It's very hard to get him to change his mind but that's what makes him not only a good mayor but an even better husband and father."_

 _"Last night, I wasn't asleep. I had been moments ago but woke up and just lay dozing as my lungs feel like they are on fire."_

 _"This cough is so prolonged – and I am so afraid and worried. I am alone with this illness and can't even see my little boy or else he will get infected..."_

 _"I had an enlightening dream a few nights ago; it was so vivid, so very real I cannot get it out of my mind - Kai was a grown man and he resembled his father. He was holding her hand as she wore all white. Both of them had matching rings and walked on crushed rose petals. Chan and I would've been happy. Our babies were getting married...if only we could've both been there to witness it in real life..."_

Kai closes the journal and rests his head on the cover, wiping his eyes from what he just read. A part of him was happy his tears did not land on his mother's words. He closes his eyes and just dozes off there. The more details Kai read about his mother, the weaker he feels himself becoming to all this new information. Not only did he learn about his parents when they first had him, but he heard his mother's dreams and hopes for him - mostly seeming to revolve around her dreams about him and this mystery girl.

Was the girl in his dream his mother or his future bride?

-o-

Kai wakes up due to someone poking him. He feels the outline of his mother's journal on his face due to sleeping right on it. He turns around in his chair and sees Wolf and Thorne there, staring at him with expressions that were a mix of confusion and concern.

"Dude, you have a bed," Wolf says, pointing right at it. He looks on his desk and sees the leather notebook with a ribbon on it. "Is that your mom's journal?"

Kai nods.

"Ohhh..." Thorne mutters excitedly as he sits on the edge of Kai's bed. "Any news on the mystery girl?"

"Her mother's name is Chan?" Kai says, uncertain if that's a real name or not.

"What if this betrothed girl is not even from Commonwealth?" Thorne questions.

"Great," Kai says, slapping his hands on his desk. "That narrows our search to the entire planet!"

Kai groans as he slides down his chair in frustration. Wolf runs his hand up and down the back of his neck as Thorne tries to think of a remedy to all this. Their already-impossible search just became more complicated.

"Let's think..." Thorne says, now standing again. "If you're the son of a mayor, then maybe you got set up with a daughter from a family of equal status."

"Elite's daughter?" Wolf guesses. "CEO's daughter? Billionaire's daughter? Another politician's daughter?"

"I don't know," Kai mutters. "I don't know anything. I just want my mom."

To the surprise of both Wolf and Thorne, Kai starts sobbing. They could only assume that this was the first time that he has let himself go after hearing that his dad was sick. Wolf and Thorne look at each other, wondering what would be an appropriate response to this unexpected event.

Wolf claps a hand on Kai's shoulder and pats it. Thorne does the same to Kai's other shoulder.

"There, there..." They both say in sync.

-o-

Later in the day, Kai showered and changed his clothes. His dad told him what was happening later on so he had to groom himself to look pleasing ot at least presentable. Although with previously knowing the majority of the people who will be in attendance, he didn't feel the need to pull out his best suit. Besides, it was going to be his dad, Torin, and Levana; all of whom have seen him in jeans. However, this fourth person has not.

Kai enters his dad's house office where he sees his dad standing at the window with Torin. They both look at Kai as he walks in. Kai watches as his father coughs into a handkerchief that resulted in having spots of blood on it. As his dad crumples it into disappearance in his fist, Kai pretends he never saw that just to make himself feel better.

"Kai..." Rikan starts. Kai looks up at him. "You don't have to be here but I'm glad you are."

Kai nods. "Anything for a good reading."

Rikan laughs a little which enlightens Kai. "I'm not that old or wise so this will is not a memoir, Kai."

Before Kai could respond, his father's lawyer walks in with Levana trailing in shortly after. As the lawyer puts his briefcase down and starts pulling out paperwork, Kai can't help but stare at how much there is just for a final will and testament.

"Dad..." Kai asks, just to distract himself. "What is Levana doing here?"

Kai didn't necessarily intend to come off as rude if he did. He was only curious. Kai knew that he was here since his dad wanted him to read the will; Torin as a witness since he's a close family friend; and his lawyer because he wrote it and a figure of the law had to be present. Levana, however, he did not know the reason for. Their families weren't even close and he only knew Levana to be a workmate of his father.

Levana steps forwards towards Kai and her intimidation makes him regret asking. This woman is frightening but he could assume that is exactly how she survived in the world raising her niece and stepdaughter on her own.

"The reason I'm here in Commonwealth is because your father called me here and asked me to work for him," Levana answers. "At first, I declined the job because of my girls and I did not want them to leave all that they had in Luna when they were still building their lives. Then, he told me that he was sick and needed an extra assistant for work, all while my girls needed that change. The reason I'm here today is to be a second witness to the will."

Speechless, Kai nods and mutters an almost inaudible thanks. Levana smirks at him as she turns to the lawyer who started discussing the will with Rikan and Torin. Then, Kai notices the will being passed to him. He nervously takes it. He looks at all the other adults who watch him but his eyes only land on his father, whom he really care about compared to everyone else present at the moment.

"Dad," Kai says, "this is your _final_ will and testament with all those codicils and ammendments. There is no coming back from this."

"That's the point," Rikan replies softly yet confidently.

Kai didn't say anything but he hated that answer and the way it was said. Yes, he understood that people die but he didn't like how it felt as if his dad was dying soon. It sounded so certain. He didn't want to see a near future with that in it. He forces himself to look at the written words on the will and like with his mother's journal, he tries not to cry in it; even if all the subtitles like codicil, custody, and distribution of wealth all triggered him. There was no way he was going to cry in front of these adults, especially his dad.

-o-

That evening, hours after the final will signing, Kai returns to his dad's house office to see his dad sitting at his desk. His dad acknowledges his presence and appreciates it, offering him a seat. Kai slowly walks in, sits down, and places his mother's journal on his desk. Rikan looks at the journal for a moment before meeting Kai's eyes.

"Mom had some entries in there about some girl she wanted me to marry," Kai tells him. "Any clue as to who she is?"

Rikan leans back in his chair and thinks. To help, Kai opens his mother's journal and points out the entries in question. Rikan puts on his glasses and starts reading through it. As he waits, Kai looks at all the medications sitting in a basket on the corner of his dad's desk. He never knew there were so many and that didn't even include the newly prescribed ones.

Kai gets distracted by his dad chuckling at his mother's words. He holds the journal on his chest as he sits up again to face Kai.

"This girl's name currently escapes my mind but I do know who she is," Rikan says. Kai smiles brightly for the first time in a while which greatly enlightens Rikan. "Or at least, I know about her. I actually never met her or her mother. Mariko studied abroad, some time was in Luna, The European Federation - she's been everywhere. After all that, she met me and we settled down here in Commonwealth. Then, we got married and had you."

Excited, Kai asks, "Can you tell me more?"

"Of course."

It wasn't for the sake of learning about who this mystery girl is. She was at the back of Kai's mind at the moment. He just wanted to learn more about his mother's life and bond more with his dad.

* * *

 **I did not mean for an Oedipus Complex at the end of the first part. I was not aiming or intending for one.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- After talking with Rikan, Kai find out more about this mystery girl**


	45. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Five

**In response to how Levana is written in this story, she isn't necessarily the same kind of villain that she was in the books and that was what I was going for. This is an AU after all. Instead, she is just (possibly and unintentionally) meaner, cunning, and with her own intentions. She does care for Cinder and Winter even though she may not show it like the typical mother. Call this a bit of a spoiler, but the next arc dives into Levana's backstory for a bit.**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Five

"Jacin, please..." Winter begs.

"Winter, no," Jacin responds firmly.

"Please."

"No."

Just like with Scarlet and Cress, Winter just had to ask Jacin for help. But since he's from Luna and barely knows Kai, Thorne, and Wolf, Winter is asking for something else to help. She is running out of ideas and feels the need to act fast.

"They won't tell me anything, Winter," Jacin argues. "They don't know me. I can't just approach them."

"They'll tell you," Winter says reassuringly. "You're bros; you have that bro code kind of thing, right?"

Jacin cringes. "No!"

Winter whines. "Please, Jacin, don't do it for me. Do it for Cinder."

"I would never do anything for Cinder and you know that."

Winter grunts. "Jacin!"

Jacin laughs as he holds Winter's waist and gives him a quick kiss. Winter pushes him back but can't keep a serious face because she loves him and knows he's kidding. He kisses her again and she doesn't stop him this time.

"I'll go ask them," Jacin says. "For you, not for Cinder."

"Same difference," Winter replies.

Jacin rolls his eyes. "Where would I find them?"

"Let's see, Scarlet isn't working today so try The Rampion. Call me if you need or find out anything."

-o-

Jacin approaches The Rampion but stops right outside. He doesn't feel comfortable doing this since he doesn't even know these guys all too well and he's just about to crawl up in their business and find out their secret. This feels wrong to him but at the same time, it's helping Cinder so it is the right thing to do. All he really had to do was convince himself that he was not doing anything bad.

Jacin opens the door of the restaurant. He doesn't even have to look around since -

"Jacin!"

Jacin immediately turns around and sees Thorne waving him over. He walks over and sits in an empty seat next to Kai and Wolf. It was almost as if this was supposed to happen.

"You're so weird," Jacin tells Thorne.

"But a likable kind of weird," Thorne replies.

Jacin shakes his head constantly as Thorne playfully winks in response.

"So..." Jacin mutters. "What's up?"

"We need your help with something," Wolf tells him. "It's helpful that you live in Luna."

Jacin nods. He can't believe that he just had to walk in and then everything he needs is just being spoon fed to him. Winter was right on how they were just going to tell him, but he wasn't going to mention that to her.

"Now, this is gonna sound weird but act normal," Kai says to Jacin.

Wolf scoffs. "Yeah, because we totally know what that means."

Kai rolls his eyes. "Apparently, my mother set me up with a girl and she wants or dreams of me marrying her. I'm not saying that we're going to tie the knot or anything like that, but I just want to see who she is. The only clues I have from my mom's journal and my dad. Apparently, this girl is the daughter of a former Lunar president who's nickname was Chan."

Jacin nods.

"So, do you know her?" Thorne asks.

"Nope." Jacin sits back. "I don't cohort with politics at all."

The other guys nod, having expected that answer. They go back to a normal conversation about a different topic. Jacin's mind goes somewhere else. The thing is, he knows _exactly_ who they are talking about and he needs to tell Winter as soon as possible. If the issue with them was about something else, then Jacin would cooperate and tell them everything he knows but he seriously can't this time. It's _that_ personal.

-o-

Cinder kicks open her bedroom door with a basket of fresh laundry in her hands. She places it on her bed and begins folding. After seeing no point in making the clothes look neat if she's going to wear and wrinkle them anyways, she opens one of her drawers and just dumps everything inside. She hears her computer ringing from an oncoming video chat. Cinder puts down her laundry and sits down in the chair, accepting the call.

It loads for a few seconds and then Iko appears on the screen.

 _Iko: Hey, how are you?_

"Fine," Cinder responds.

 _Iko: Heard from Kai?_

"A small text here and there but other than that, not so much. He's probably with his dad."

Iko nods.

 _Iko: How are you doing?_

"I just did laundry."

Iko claps her hands once to make a point.

 _Iko: That answers my question. Girl, you hate laundry more than Levana since dealing with her is easier than folding a bedsheet on your own._

Cinder shrugs since Iko has a point. "I have two new boyfriends."

Iko's jaw drops and a disbelieving laugh escapes her mouth.

 _Iko: What?! Already?! You dumped Kai and already have two new boy toys?! You go, Cinder!_

Cinder pulls over her laundry basket. "Meet Ben and Jerry."

Cinder shows Iko two pints of ice cream and pulls out a spoon. She opens both of them and starts eating. Cinder laughs a little as Iko shakes her head, not impressed.

 _Iko: That's truly pathetic and just downright sad...and also some horrible ice cream flavors._

"He is now hanging out with the boys and it's all secretive," Cinder tells her. "Scarlet and Cress can't even get a word out of their boyfriends."

 _Iko: Bros before hoes?_

Cinder stabs her spoon in one of the pints and looks at Iko totally offended. "I am not a hoe."

 _Iko: You were just talking about Ben and Jerry being your boyfriends._

-o-

Jacin is jogging home from The Rampion. He actually texted Winter to pick him up from somewhere near the restaurant since he didn't want the other guys to think that he was going to blab to Winter (even though he was going to). He just had to tell her because he couldn't keep what he just learned to himself.

Jacin runs across the street on a green light and sharply jumps back when a car almost runs him over. He stops running and sees Winter waving at him from behind the wheels. Jacin shakes his head with a small smirk on his face as he gets in the passenger seat.

"Aces, Winter, you could've killed me!" Jacin yells.

"You have tight abs, you would've bounced back," Winter replies with a small wink.

Jacin snickers at her seriousness. "Sometimes, Trouble, sometimes..."

Winter giggles. As she continues driving, Jacin catches his breath and buckles his seatbelt. He needs to be able to breathe if he's going to tell what he knows.

"What's up with the guys?" Winter asks.

"Pull over," Jacin says. "Trust me. I don't want your foot on the gas pedal when you hear this."

Winter nods as she pulls over. She turns off the engine and unbuckles her seatbelt so she could turn to face Jacin as he speaks.

"Okay..." Jacin says. "So, Kai's mom pretty much wrote in a diary that she and her friend set Kai and the friend's daughter up to get married. Kai wants to find this girl just to see who is behind the pages and I know who it is. I didn't tell them though."

Winter is taken aback. "You only had one conversation with them and you already know?"

Jacin nods.

"Tell me who it is," Winter says excitedly.

"I don't have to. You know who she is. Just hear this. You won't believe it."

"Try me."

"The daughter of a former Lunar president with the nickname Chan."

Winter's jaw drops open. She starts laughing hysterically, even tearing up a little. Winter keeps second guessing Jacin's words but he keeps nodding while smiling like an idiot.

"Oh, my stars..." Winter mutters. "I don't even need a name. I know her. Oh, my stars, Jacin, we both know her!"

"Kai could just look it up on the Internet," Jacin says.

"Kai won't search for it, he would ask for it and make it feel like more of an accomplishment. But can I tell her?"

"No."

"Please, Jacin, please!"

"No."

Winter begs. In reality, Jacin can't keep saying no because he knows that feeling of wanting of letting it all out. He just experienced it and it would be hypocritical of him to deny Winter since he literally just told her. Jacin needs a different approach to keep Winter's mouth shut.

"It'd be much more romantic if Kai tells her himself," Jacin says. He would compliment himself on his smart move.

"You're right!" Winter exclaims.

* * *

 **I kind of want to speed publish the rest of this arc because I'm so excited about the next two, but because I'm working on other stories both on here and on Wattpad, it'll wait...**

 **I think some of you already know who this mystery girl is...**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Kai finally gets a name to who this mystery girl is...**


	46. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Six

**Most of you already seem to know who the mystery girl is but she's revealed here anyways for the sake of the plot and in case there are some who did not guess it.**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Six

"Dad, I'm home!" Kai exclaims as he walks through the front door.

Kai closes the door behind him and throws his keys on the counter. He walks up the stairs and sees his dad standing by the window with his mother's journal in his hands. Kai leans against the wall until Rikan looks at him and closes the journal. He's smiling brightly and Kai thinks it's because of what his mother was writing.

"Selene," Rikan says.

"What?" Kai questions.

"The girl," Rikan responds. "Her name is Selene."

Kai's jaw and heart drop as he walks closer to his dad. A part of him screams excitedly and the other hugs his dad. For what felt like the longest time, now he finally has a name for the girl within the journal. Now, it will be easier to find her and put a face to the name.

"She's a Lunar," Rikan tells him. "I remember a bit more now. Your mother studied in Luna as a part of her exchange program. There, she met Selene's mother, Channary, and the two of them bonded before your mother came back here. Channary was president when she had Selene and reports have said that she had a sperm donor but rumors believe otherwise. She died about a year after Selene was born."

"Where is she now?"

"Selene?"

Kai nods to which Rikan shrugs. Kai leans against the wall, thinking for a second. Everything about that story seems so complex that it could be fictional, but it feels so real and so right. It just intrigues him even more, especially mow that he knows more.

"Selene what?"

Rikan holds back from answering for a moment. He places both his hands on Kai's shoulders and smirks as he shakes his head disgracefully.

"Blackburn."

Kai's jaw drops in disbelief. He takes a step back, needing to know if he heard that right because he can't wrap his head around that. He keeps asking for his dad to verify that Blackburn is her name. It can't be Selene Blackburn but Rikan keeps on confirming it. Kai laughs a little out of hysteria and puts his hands on his hips.

"Alright then..." Kai mutters. "Selene Blackburn it is. I have to go and ask the Blackburns I do know about her."

"Go ahead."

Kai runs out of the room, almost crashing into Torin who sidesteps him. Torin enters the room and after seeing Rikan chuckling and Kai running out, he wonders what their conversation was about. Torin looks back to where Kai left and points behind him while looking at Rikan.

"I heard a bit while coming up here," Torin says. "Is Kai is really going to look for _Selene Blackburn_?"

Rikan nods, barely believing it himself. "Believe it or not. He read Mariko's journal and apparently she and former President Blackburn of Luna fantasizes about Kai and Selene getting married one day."

"That is undeniably adorable but you've heard the horror stories that came from the Blackburn era of Luna and I doubt they're just exaggerated rumors," Torin says seriously. "President Blackburn was a monster and Selene was never seen after her mother died. People assumed the baby got murdered by a radical Blackburn rebel or sold off somewhere. They're not spoken about much now since the smoke is finally fading away. The Blackburns were a dynasty which is why I'm surprised you got Levana to work for you when she came directly from the fiery craters of that dynasty hellhole and why you think it's okay for Kai to go find Selene."

Rikan takes Torin's words into consideration. Yes, he knows about the dark times Luna went through about two decades ago when President Blackburn was in charge of Luna. She had a strict presidency that most would consider a dictatorship. People would say that she was a cruel woman whose beauty and wickedly hypnotizing charm is what got her and the Blackburn family their high status. Still, if Mariko liked her for whatever reason and trusted that Selene would be a fit for Kai, despite it all being a fantasy they made together as excited mothers, he was all for it.

"I am aware, yes," Rikan says while nodding his head, "but I would never question Mariko and am just happy that Kai is not dwelling on me. I do not like to see him worrying."

-o-

Kai had no time to tell anyone what he just learned. He needed to get there and do so quickly. Even though he could probably look all this up on the Internet that is just at his fingertips, he ran. It feels like a sudden release of energy was leading him to his mysterious and seemingly missing Selene.

It all seems wrong and he does feel guilty for it, but at the same time, it's almost like he's fulfilling a legacy he was destined to have. Even though this was all some written fairytale he mom dreamt of, finding this Selene was like an ode to her, and Cinder would definitely understand that (which was what his wishful thinking hoped for).

Kai approaches the Blackburn mansion and catches his breath before walking up the driveway. He feels incredibly anxious and shaky about this. It was weird to just show up and ask about some long-lost relative for his respective reasons. They would think he was insane and possibly due to the lack of oxygen in his brain from the running he just did. But he figures that if anyone would know about Selene Blackburn, it would be an actual Blackburn.

Kai knocks on the front door and waits for a response. When the door opens, his heart stops for a moment when he sees Cinder there. She is almost as surprised to see him there as he is.

"Hi," Cinder greets since Kai hasn't said a word and is just staring at her like a deer-in-headlights. "Kai, are you okay? Do you need some water or something?"

"Right," Kai says, taking a quick breath. "Is Winter here?"

Cinder is taken aback. "You came here for _Winter_?"

Kai realizes how odd that sounds to the ears of his girlfriend, especially since Winter is her stepcousin. That means that the whole Selene story would make Cinder possibly go ballistic.

"Well," Cinder continues, "she left a while ago, squealing like a piglet for some odd reason, and now she's ignoring my calls. So, you're stuck with me. Is that a problem?"

"No," Kai states, "not at all." He takes a deep breath. "Actually, I really need to tell you something. It's about why I have been feeling so weird about and towards you."

Cinder pulls Kai inside the house and she closes the front door. She leans against it and makes sure that their conversation stays right where they currently are. Kai takes a seat on the bench by the doorway and encourages Cinder to sit next to him but she remains standing where she is.

"It's because of my mom," Kai tells her.

"What does that mean?" She questions.

"Cinder, I'm so mad at myself for not explaining the situation. This is not an excuse but my dad's illness and my mom's words got to me. I barely slept because I just had to figure out _exactly_ what my mom wanted."

"What was it?"

"You might not like it."

Cinder opens her arms. "I'm not some kind of cyborg. How could anyone feel good about any of this?"

"This is going to sound really weird but my mom had a dream about me marrying a girl and - "

"What the stars?!" Cinder exclaims. "That's ridiculous. You could've told me!"

"I didn't feel right about doing that at first! How would you feel if you were in my shoes about all this?"

Cinder pauses, tapping her foot. "You win there. Go on."

Kai smiles a little from the corner of his mouth. "The thing about this girl is that she's currently missing in action since her mother - who was the former president of Luna - died. I was coming for Winter to avoid this but since you're here and know my story, maybe you could help me."

Suddenly, Kai notices something odd about Cinder's reaction ever since he said that. She suddenly stops being defensive: her entire face drops as her posture straightens up and tightens erectly. Her arms wrap around her chest, acting as a shield for herself. And if Kai isn't mistaken, her breathing is quicker and she's subtly shaking as if she is on the verge of having a panic attack or worse, exploding.

"Kai..." Cinder stutters.

Tears seem to be forming in her eyes which Kai was not prepared for. If there was something he learned about Cinder, it was that she just doesn't cry and now he sees that she's on the verge of doing so. Kai stands up to try and ease her but Cinder shudders back which scares her. But then, it seems as if she is winding up to blow up.

"You are not allowed to leave this house until you tell me who that girl is!" Cinder exclaims.

Before Kai could get the name out, Levana comes walking down the stairwell. She stops halfway with a hand to her forehead as she looks down on Kai and Cinder with an expression that's both agitated and extremely tired and stressed.

"What are you two yapping about?" Levana asks. "I am in the middle of a conference call."

Both Cinder and Kai mutter apologies. Levana simply sighs and shakes it off with a small eye roll as she crosses her arms and starts heading back upstairs.

"Selene, just take it outside," Levana says.

And the bomb has blown... That name hits both Cinder and Kai like a slap in the face, feeling as if their entire lives just flashed before their eyes.

Cinder closes her eyes and feels a single tear fall out. She inhales and exhales, trying to see if she can understand what just happened. She doesn't need her eyes to know what is going on but she forces herself to look at Kai and his face is contorted. To others, Kai may not look shocked, but Cinder knows the face he is making. This is the face he makes when he is incredulous. It's a numb accompanied by a direct stare, and it's absolutely terrifying. It's weird how much you can know about someone without knowing everything.

Kai can't help but just stare at the girl in front of him. It all makes sense as to why Cinder lives with her aunt and why her parents are not around at all. Sometimes, myths come with gorgeous brown eyes, a perfect smile, and the kindest touch. A deadly _Blackburn_ masterpiece indeed.

"You're - you're her..." Kai mutters, his voice shaking and cracking. "You're Selene Blackburn. You're the girl in my mother's journal - you're the missing daughter of the late former President Channary Blackburn of Luna."

Cinder nods, her face solemn with regret as another tear falls from her face. "I am."

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Now that it is revealed that Cinder is Selene, some explanations are needed.**


	47. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Seven

**Would now be a bad time to self-promote? Because I have a new, funny, and witty _Lunar Chronicles_ one-shot titled _Color, Cut, and Cress_ which you should go check out after you're done here.**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Seven

"No..." Kai mutters. "No, you can't be. You are not Selene Blackburn, it's impossible!"

"Kai..." Cinder says, holding her hands out in defense. "I swear, on my life, that I am Selene Blackburn."

"Swear on whose life? On Cinder's or Selene's?"

Cinder doesn't respond but she doesn't have the patience to tolerate this even though she so saw this reaction coming. Kai crosses his arms at her. Cinder continues to shake. She still doesn't understand how that came out of Levana. That was the first time in years that she slipped up. Levana was never one to make mistakes.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Kai asks her. "You are Selene - that is your life!"

"I didn't feel the need to. You never asked or told me you were looking for a Selene Blackburn until now."

"Oh, stars, Cinder - or should I say, _Selene_."

Cinder takes a deep breath, accepting Kai's attitude and anger towards her. She deserve this and doesn't have to yell back.

"I didn't tell anyone because there are still so many things that I don't have the slightest clue about," Cinder confesses. "I have been going by the name of Cinder for the longest that I could remember. Most things are forgotten over time because I got so caught up in living that the fact that my birth name is Selene was no longer in my mind. There is just too much in the present to keep up with. But still, being Selene will always be true to me even when my life keeps on going and I answer to Cinder. In Artemisia, it was for safety and publicity reasons. Having that as a secret means that I have done a lot of lying but it wasn't because I'm a bad person or had the goals to hurt you, it was out of necessity."

Kai nods, unable to find whatever words could be helpful for this. Instead, he pulls Cinder in close and hugs her tightly.

"Artemisia would not have been a safe place for me as a Blackburn, especially as Channary's daughter," Cinder whispers into the crook of Kai's neck where she rested in the hug. "The Blackburn rule in Luna was an authoritarian state. She turned fashion to fascism during her time in office. I've heard and read all the stories. People wanted her dead and I think she killed those who - "

"Shh..." Kai says, rubbing her back to silence and calm her down. "You don't have to tell me - "

"No." Cinder pushes back from him. "Call the others. I need to get all of this out of me now that you opened my Pandora's - or Selene's Box. I am in Commonwealth, not Artemisia anymore."

-o-

Kai texted the others in advance and said to get ready for a video call. They all answered immediately and said they were waiting. Conveniently, Wolf was already with Scarlet, Thorne with Cress, and Jacin with Winter. Once he started the call, he waited for the three screens and six people to appear which eventually happens.

"Hello all," Kai greets, which didn't sound as creepy in his head. "I have found my mystery girl and mother-approved betrothal."

Wolf, Thorne, Jacin, and Winter become shocked (Jacin's and Winter's are more scripted than the others) whereas Cress and Scarlet are confused.

 _Cress and Scarlet: What?_

 _Thorne and Wolf: Who is it?_

"Meet Selene Blackburn."

All of a sudden, Cinder pops into the screen, taking a seat on Kai's lap. Everyone is silent for a second except Winter who does all the cheering since Jacin naturally looks unamused (he really is happy on the inside though and Winter knows that). Wolf and Thorne roar with laughter as Cress and Scarlet still have no idea what's going on. Their boys give a quick summary of the whole situation which doesn't really help. The four of them still don't get why Cinder is there.

 _Scarlet: What do you mean?_

"My real name is Selene Blackburn," Cinder admits.

Cress and Wolf's faces currently resemble two deers in headlights as they try to piece this new piece of information together. They're Lunars so they definitely know this.

 _Cress: Wait...Wolf, you'll know what I'm talking about. You're the long-lost Selene Blackburn, daughter of Former Luna President Channary Blackburn?_

 _Wolf: I may not look like it but I am losing my spades over this._

Cinder smirks wildly. "I am Selene Blackburn in the flesh."

 _Wolf: My mom left Luna because of President Blackburn, no offense._

Cinder totally expected that. "None taken. I have heard every horror and theory. The latter have entertained me back in Luna. I have no memories of my mother so I only have those stories to live on."

Suddenly, Thorne starts bowing for Cinder. Everyone is staring at him weirdly but that doesn't stop him. Sure, it's respectful and Cinder loves it, but she wasn't royalty.

 _Scarlet: Quick bowing._

 _Thorne: I am shooketh to the stars, Scarlet! She's a president's daughter!_

 _Scarlet: Aces, never say that first part again._

"Please..." Cinder mutters. "From my origin, bowing would be the nice response. In Luna, I would've been heckled and possibly killed."

"Cinder!" Kai exclaims at her.

"What? It's true. One of the stories that circled about me was that I got killed by a radical Lunar."

 _Winter: Those were the worst ones._

 _Thorne: Care to explain?_

 _Jacin: President Blackburn was in power for over a little under a decade and her entire rule was more chaotic than any war to have ever happened. The Blackburns are a dynasty of wealth, status, and eventual dictatorship that ended with Channary. The buzz about it in Luna is still there but not to the same extent._

 _Wolf: President Blackburn made Luna into a single-party state and ruled with an iron fist that matched every one of her designer outfits. When Channary emerged into power, there was a mass emigration during the first decade of her rule._

 _Cress: Wolf, you are lucky to not have left Luna when I did. My dad and I immigrated to Commonwealth because of his job and that was years into her presidency and it just happened to be at the same time as the last of the 'runaways' were fleeing. It was absolute chaos._

Cinder takes a breath. "I know. You all must be wondering how such a cruel woman could have ever been allowed to rule. According to Levana, the Blackburn beauty and status is what won her everything - power, wealth, men - anything and everything. However, despite all that, Levana says that the only thing my mother was good at, was being my mother even if it wasn't for so long since she died."

Everyone is now silent, especially the Lunars. They have lived with all the terrible stories and the aftermath of what President Blackburn has done to Luna. Now hearing that President Blackburn was good to her own daughter puts a new light on the situation even if they couldn't see that for herself.

Sensing the climate of the situation, Cinder looks down and feels Kai rub her back.

 _Jacin: You know, nobody back home every pieced together that Cinder was Selene Blackburn and she is basically a carbon copy of Channary - only appearance-wise though. And her mother was televised all the time, even after she died._

 _Winter: Same here and nobody wondered why I had Blackburn attached to my last name. It was for custody reasons, by the way._

Cinder smirks. "Everyone is Artemisia is ignorant. People were always too busy taking selfies to put down their phones and see something right in their face - especially the selfies with me in them. That, and us millennials don't really care about what happened back then."

 _Scarlet: Wait, so who else knows about all this?_

"Only a handful of people. Just FYI, Levana is my mother's sister and I believe she was in the office with my sister as an advisor which is high-key nepotism but apparently, my mother only trusted her. Winter knows because she's family after Levana married her dad, my few friends back in Luna - Jacin, Iko, and Kinney because as a child I blabbed to them, and now all of you."

 _Thorne: I am so flattered to be in your secret circle now._

"You know, it feels so nice to have it all it there only for you guys now. I didn't want you all to like me and then hate or pity me because of where I came from. If you all are truly my friends, then you'd still be by my side after you know everything."

 _Thorne: Can we call you Selene?_

"As long as we can call you Carswell."

Thorne is defeated by that counter-argument. He thinks it over and wonders if hearing his first name is worth being able to call Cinder as Selene.

 _Thorne: Cinder it is!_

Everyone laughs even though they will definitely call Thorne by his birth name when they could. There was just a ring to Carswell that no other name has, not even Selene.

 _Winter: Wait, did we move here because of that fantasy marriage?!_

"I had no idea what that was," Cinder admits. "We moved here because Levana was offered a job and you were losing your spades."

 _Scarlet: Yeah, what was up with that?_

 _Winter: ...that's a story for another time._

"Can we discuss some Selene conspiracies?" Kai questions, pinching Cinder's sides a little just to make her squirm.

Everyone, especially Cinder, agrees. They all look to the Lunars for the Selene conspiracies. Over their years and experiences in Luna, they have heard a lot of interesting ones over time.

-o-

The stories went on for more than an hour and they only scratched the surface of Selene conspiracies. They spoke about the one where Selene supposedly got murdered by a radical Blackburn, the one where Selene got sold on the black market, the one where Selene supposedly died in a fire, and so on and so forth. The stories were endless.

As they kept on going, Kai feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. With Cinder on the edge of his lap, he awkwardly shifts to get his phone out. When he does, he sees that it's a text from Torin.

 _Torin: Get to the hospital now._

Kai drops his phone, still trying to process what he just read and what it could mean. Cinder turns around to look at him.

"What's wrong?" Cinder asks him.

"I have to go," Kai says. "My dad's in the hospital."

Cinder gets up and watches Kai head for the door. She looks back at her friends and says that she will call them back and keep them updated. Cinder closes her laptop and runs after Kai.

"Kai, wait!" Cinder yells. "I'll drive you!" She looks upstairs. "Levana, I'm heading out!"

Cinder grabs her keys and runs out to her car, unlocking it along the way.

Panic rises like bile in Kai's throat as he gets into Cinder's car. His heart stops as his stomach twists. Cinder starts the engine and they quickly pull out of the driveway and head down the road.

"Kai," Cinder says, "I still don't know Commonwealth all that well so you'll have to tell me which way to go."

Kai doesn't respond.

"Kai," Cinder encourages, "I know you're scared but I assure you it will all be okay. You need to tell me where to go."

* * *

 **And you all thought the last cliffhanger was painful...**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Now that the Selene secret is out in the open, what will happen now to Kai and his father?**


	48. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Eight

**I can't believe I forgot to mention this a few chapters back but THANK YOU ALL FOR 100 REVIEWS!**

 **Also, I don't really know why I'm telling you this but I already finished writing the next arc.**

 **Just a heads up that this chapter is sad and possibly triggering (kind of is for me but I - barely - conquered through it).**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Eight

Cinder pulls into the hospital entryway. She tried to ask Kai which entrance she should enter in from since there were at least five, but ever since the hospital was in sight, Kai went full-on mute. Cinder understands how scared and worried Kai is at the moment but she really needs him to say something. After no responses from calling his name three times and seeing his blank gaze out the window, Cinder took the first entrance they saw and it was possibly the ambulance lane that led to the emergency room. Before Cinder got a chance to loop into the parking lot, Kai unbuckles his seatbelt and opens the door to run out straight towards the hospital.

"Kai!" Cinder screams for him.

Of course, he wouldn't come running back. Cinder unbuckles her seatbelt and closes Kai's door which silences her car alarm. She grunts as she parks into the first available parking spot in her sight, not really seeing if her car is even allowed to be there. She steps out and locks her car before running inside.

The moment the hospital's automatic door open for her, Cinder is thrown aback by the hospital environment and it's eerie familiarity that brings her back to her final days in Artemisia just for a second. She looks around frantically at all the chaos in just the waiting room of the emergency room. Everyone blurs around her as gurneys speed past her and ambulance sirens deafen her.

"Kai!" Cinder exclaims.

No response. Nobody even looks her way. Cinder results in running past the front desk and down the corridors.

"Excuse me, Miss!" A nurse yells at her. "Get back here!"

"Not now!" Cinder yells back.

She continues running down the hallways which end up looking the same to her. Aside from Kai, her current hope is that she loses the nurse who just yelled at her. Cinder takes a second to pause and catch her breath. Her heart is beating too fast not only because of the running but because hospitals freak her out.

"Sir, do not run in here!" She hears a different nurse yell.

"I have somewhere I have to be!"

That's Kai. Cinder starts running in that direction and when she finds Kai, she pulls him to the side. She holds his shaking self still and calms him down with a hug. Kai is on the verge of collapsing but at least she's here to hold him in place. Cinder parts from Kai and turns him around when she sees Torin approaching them.

Torin barely looks at Kai when he leads them. Cinder holds Kai's hand up to the point when they approach a hospital room. Torin and Cinder stand to the side as Kai walks inside and sees his father in one of the beds.

Kai doesn't get it. He was fine before he left the house and now he's here. How could this have happened so fast? His dad looks at him and Kai has nothing to say because he knows that when he opens his mouth, a sob will shoot out like a firework.

"Tell me something good, Kai," Rikan whispers to him. "Please, tell me something that recently made you happy."

Rikan opens his hand to a chair next to the bed and Kai takes a seat. At first, Kai isn't sure what to say given the climate of the situation. His heart is in his throat, his stomach is shriveled up, and his lungs are trembling. But, despite all that, a small smile forms on his face all on its own because something out of all this did make him happy.

"I found Selene," Kai tells him.

Rikan lights up a little in both delight and confusion. Kai understands why because of all the Selene conspiracies he was talking about with his friends before he had to rush here.

"How?" Rikan asks perplexed.

"She was right in front of me this whole time," Kai tells him. "It's Cinder. Cinder is Selene Blackburn."

Rikan looks up and thinks that over before slowing nodding his head. "Now that you mention it, there is this uncanny resemblance between Cinder and Channary."

Kai nods and turns around to the door. He calls for Cinder and she peeks her head in before entering. She stands behind Kai's chair, resting her hands on Kai's shoulders and gives a friendly smile to Rikan.

"Good to meet you, Selene," Rikan says.

"The pleasure is mine," Cinder responds softly and genuinely.

"Fairytale or not, I still give you my blessing to be with my son in whatever relationship you two will have in the future."

Cinder bites her bottom lip in gratitude. "Thank you."

Rikan smiles at her. Cinder gives Kai a reassuring shoulder squeeze before excusing herself back outside again to give him and his dad their needed personal time. Kai looks back at his dad and can't stop himself from crying this time. He saw this coming from the moment he read the final will and testament. There really was no walking away from that, only forwards and it brought them here - to the waterfall of tears, the smell of rubbing alcohol, and the sound of a steady heartbeat.

"Please, Kai," Rikan says, "I love you too much to stay silent as you weep so let me do all the talking."

"Dad..." Kai stutters between choking sobs. "I can't handle this. I don't want to lose you. There's a cure out there somewhere, I know it, just hold onto me, please."

"Waiting to be cured isn't living, it's a waste of time. Why spend your last moments striving for a pill that your body might reject when you can be by your family's side instead? Cures are not cures, Kai, they're pause buttons. You know what you got from your mother? Your ability to adapt. She was more than capable of handling whatever life threw at her. That's why I married her."

"I already lost Mom. I'm scared to the stars of losing you too."

"You have already grown into a man your mother would've been more than proud of. Whatever happens, Kai, it does no good to be afraid. What matters is how you handle the bad stuff and how you let it handle you."

Kai unwillingly nods. He takes he dad's cold hands into his and warms them up. Kai holds them tightly as he blinks away tears and looks into his dad's eyes. Both of them are crying which in turn, makes them smile bittersweetly at one another.

"You're good, Dad..." Kai whispers to him. "You're good..."

-o-

Kai didn't dream nor did he remember falling asleep. He wakes up, slouched on the arm of a chair in the waiting room. He doesn't remember when he got in this room but looks up to see a doctor standing in front of him. By the way his face is shaped, he can tell that he isn't here with miraculous good news.

Kai doesn't think because he doesn't want to connect the dots to why he's in a different room and why a doctor is here.

"Kai..." The doctor says gravely. "I am sorry to have to tell you this but your father has passed away in his sleep."

Kai stares at the doctor blankly and numbly. He just nods his head as the doctor gives his condolences and says that he will be giving the paperwork to Torin. Kai takes a seat as the doctor excuses himself. He gets up and walks back to his father's hospital room. Every step there feels like a mile, especially since the hospital is now in a quiet state. It was the longest walk of his life. Kai finally arrives and takes a breath before entering.

All he sees is the hospital bed in the middle of the room with his deceased father lying on it, a white sheet covering everything except his head. All the machines are disconnected and removed. The lights were off but natural lighting comes in through the window. Kai walks across the room, at the foot of the bed, and his eyes never leave his father. There are little blips in seconds where he swears that he saw his father flinch or that his chest moved from taking a breath, but he secretly knows that's only the residual air leaving the body.

 _This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. No one had died. His dad is fine. Everything is fine. Everything is going to be normal and okay._

No matter how hard Kai tries, he couldn't believe himself.

Kai heads over to the window and leans on the windowsill, resting his arms. He squints his eyes at the bright sunlight and then looks at the view of beautiful Commonwealth. What Kai sees is a city that lost its mayor and when he sees his reflection in the window, he sees a now-orphaned boy who just lost his last parent.

Kai just wonders the following: How long was his father dead for? Did he fall asleep or did his father? Was he asleep in here until his dad flatlined and the doctors moved him out there to see if they have to clock a time of death or save him?

Back when he was a child and his mother died, he saw her body and he was too young to understand what was exactly going on. Yes, he knew that she was dead but he wasn't mature enough to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. Now, Kai is grown and knows the reality of loss and still, he should still be too young to know that.

Kai turns back and heads to the foot of the bed where he stops. He leans forwards on it, looking directly at his father. He isn't sure what he's doing. Kai acts af if he's waiting for a response but he knows that nothing will come. Everything is still and silent as Kai just stares at his father; no thoughts running through his head. What was there to think?

"Come back..." Kai mutters. His body starts to shake. "Come back, dad. I need you. Dad, please come back and bring me home."

Kai stumbles back until he hits the wall and then he slides down to the ground, keeping his knees tightly pressed against his chest. He feels his heart breaking into millions of pieces. His tears fall down his face but he does nothing to wipe them away. He tries to take a breath but a giant lump in his throat makes him finally break down, in a fit of unstoppable sobs. He hides his face in his sleeves which muffles his cries as well which is good since he doesn't want anyone to look at him. He doesn't want people to see an emotional young boy who no longer has his parents. He doesn't want to hear any condolences or that everything is going to be okay because it sure as the stars doesn't feel that way.

* * *

 **From someone who has actually been in Kai's position and has lost a parent a few years younger, I can honestly say that it's a hard experience and it never fully leaves you. Even when you think it's all good, you will sometimes think back to that moment in time and all the tears you didn't shed then come out. So, in case you were wondering: yes, I cried so many tears while writing this chapter.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- The news of Commonwealth's mayor spreads throughout the city.**


	49. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Nine

**The fact that I wrote this on Mother's Day weekend is kind of touching.**

 **I was supposed to update this yesterday but I just literally forgot.**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Nine

 _"Today has not been a good day for Commonwealth..."_

In the kitchen, Winter stands by Levana's side as they both listen to the disheartening urgent newscast about the sudden passing of Mayor Rikan. They both hear the reporter's words and remain silent. Winter became so mesmerized by the ongoing words that she jumps a little at the moment Levana places a hand on her shoulder. Winter looks at Levana's hand and then at her face, knowing that even if she was paying attention, it would've still taken her by surprise.

It takes Winter a second to put a hand on top of Levana's and just leave it there. Their relationship has always been separate and yet together at the same time. They didn't click together like typical mothers and daughters, but at the end of the day, they did acknowledge that they had each other and they liked their relationship the unorthodox way it was.

Levana may be more harsh and bitter, but that was the way she was brought up and understands love to be. Cinder and Winter know that and tolerate it. They theorized that this version of Levana would be better than one that actually showed maternal love.

Blood means you're related. Loyalty means you're family. Even though Levana doesn't show it, Winter cannot be more grateful for her and Cinder not ever being abandoning by Levana.

Winter glances back at Jacin who leans against the doorframe of the kitchen. He lightly smiles at her before stepping out to call his parents and tell them that he loves them so much despite running away from them.

-o-

 _"I am saddened to announce that our beloved mayor, Mayor Rikan, has passed away earlier this morning..."_

Wolf stands outside in the evening, leaning against a building with a lit cigarette being held by his pointer and middle finger. He hears the news of Mayor Rikan from many people who walk right past him. In disbelief, Wolf pulls out his phone and it's the trending topic that fills up his feed. He feels awful about all this and can't even begin to imagine what Kai must be going through right now.

Wolf looks up and sees the businesses around him closing down for the night even though there were still hours until their closing time. He notices all the cars heading to their home and here he was, still standing there in shock at the death of the city's mayor and his friend's father. This was a loss for everyone, Wolf comes to realize, and now everyone is mourning.

Wolf throws his cigarette on the ground and squishes it with the bottom of his shoe, grinding it into the pavement. Once done, he starts running home just to give his mother a big hug.

-o-

 _"We owe it to Mayor Rikan for his years of service and dedication to our city of Commonwealth..."_

Cress sits next to her dad on the couch and leans on him. Sage wraps his arm around her shoulders and they both just sit there in silence as they listen to the news report on the now-late Mayor Rikan. Her face doesn't remain dry as they talk about his life not only with Commonwealth but with Mariko and Kai while showing a whole album's worth of family photos throughout the years. She can't even begin to imagine what Kai must be going through since she hasn't been through that kind of loss herself.

Cress can't bear to picture a world without her dad, especially since her mom isn't around. Her story is different than Kai's though. Unlike him, her mom left and didn't die. Now that it's only her and her father, she wants to stay that way.

-o-

 _"With him, we have witnessed and experienced a new light to the city that no previous mayor has brought."_

Scarlet turns off the television. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and scrolls through the notifications which are all the same as what the news was broadcasting with irritating hashtags of seemingly-empty condolences. Scarlet sighs as each article meshes into one giant spiel about Mayor Rikan's death, and she puts her phone down. She needs pure silence from all this.

Scarlet feels overwhelmed and suffocated by all this that she takes off her red sweatshirt just to be able to breathe. Why was she crying? She didn't lose someone. She still has her parents even though they haven't been by her side in years. Nobody died for her and yet here she was: unable to breathe because of all this. How could she begin to explain herself when so many emotions engulf her all at once?

-o-

 _"Mayor Rikan is survived by his son, Kai..."_

At that moment, Thorne looks up from where he was sitting in the living room and sees his parents standing behind them. He isn't sure if they were there the whole time or if they just got there. He knows that they're sad because Mayor Rikan was not only a close friend of theirs but they were his supporters.

Or maybe they're sad because a boy his age no longer has his parents.

Thorne looks back at the television but doesn't exactly listen to the report. He just thinks about how he still has both of his parents even if he sometimes wished that he didn't. Thorne realizes that he can choose his friends and the good people you decide to surround yourself with, but he can't choose his family. Thorne still has two parents and that he took that for granted since he doesn't love them as much as he should. If people were to ask, he would simply say that his parents were fine people. He had no reason to complain. They bought him a car and kind of let him do whatever he wants. They weren't total jerks or anything, they're fundamentally decent people.

-o-

Cinder walks down the silent hospital hallway. She couldn't find it in her to leave because Kai needed her because he couldn't be alone right now, especially since Torin was handling all the legal paperwork. As she heads back to find him, she thinks about how lucky she is to not have witnessed or have been old enough to experience her mother's death. She's glad that it happened when she was a baby.

And then there was the death of Winter's father that happened when she and Winter were only thirteen-years old. Cinder didn't cry even though Evret was the closest person she had to a father. Was she cold-hearted because tears still aren't running down her face? Because Cinder once thought Levana was heartless up until Evret's funeral where she saw her with a wet face and red eyes. It's sad how it takes the loss of a precious human life for people to realize where they went wrong in life; how someone so valuable has to be taken before they take time to reflect.

Cinder has been through this too many times to know that she really sees the world in a different light once you go through the same trauma multiple times, and gain more of an understanding of what was going on. What she did learn from Evret's funeral was that even if she didn't cry, if she does find it in her heart to love and has to sit through this again, the she has to make that person their everything. It's in her best interest to get better at this, and not the signature Blackburn bitterness.

She finds Kai sitting in the hospital lounge and heads over. She takes a seat next to him and waits for him to start the talking to see if he's in the mood or if he would rather just sit in silence.

Cinder notes how Kai looks at the moment: his hair is disheveled, his eyes are rimmed red, and his face is pale with streaks of fallen tears on it. After experiencing the death of Winter's father and seeing Winter like this, Cinder knows that she isn't sure how to handle these types of situations.

Kai keeps his gaze to the floor. "I can't believe you're still here. I thought you would've left. Where did you stay overnight?"

Cinder shrugs. "I was kind of just wandering around. I'm having a hard enough time leaving you behind or alone right now."

"Then don't." Kai takes a breath as he pleads. "I know that you can survive without your parents." He looks at her. "I see all of you live with your wonderful non-whire-picket-fence families all the time."

"Kai," Cinder starts, "nobody your age should have to ever go through pain like this."

"What about you?"

"I don't count. You have substantial emotions towards them, Kai, and I barely have names and stories. I don't know who my father is and the only stories I have about my mother are either too horrendous to hear or too fabricated by the press. I never knew or lived a life with my parents. You have all those memories and experiences." She takes a breath. "I think our moms made that maternal fantasy as a way for us to find and look after each other."

Kai bites down on his bottom lip as he takes Cinder's hand into his and lies down on her lap. Cinder runs her free hand through his hair as she looks up at the ceiling, feeling the exact same as she did with Winter back then.

* * *

 **The next chapter will be up tomorrow granted that I remember.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Kai has some final words about his father...**


	50. Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Ten

**This is the final chapter of Kai's arc. It has been a wonderful adventure and to be frank, it took me about a week to write.**

* * *

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Ten

Kai stands in front of the mirror of his parents' room. He looks at his reflection and alooks he sees is himself in the tuxedo he's going to wear to his father's funeral. It was planned to be a few days after he died and in those few days, Kai has just been grieving as Torin dealt with all the legalities. Each day would pass and Kai would not keep track since he just did not care.

This tuxedo was the nicest outfit he put on in days. He was just wearing pajamas for the past few days.

Kai reaches for the jacket he placed on his parents' bed and puts it on, almost completing the look. He still can't believe that this day has come and how much more mature a tuxedo can make anyone look. He looks like a man; he looks like his father.

Kai immediately looks away as he reaches for the tie he has to wear. He wraps it around his neck but freezes on how to actually put it on. His hands shake as he remembers his mother kneeling in front of him as she ties it for him. Kai isn't sure why he was wearing a tie at that age but he just knows his mother put it on for him. His mind then reminds him of his father always tying the tie for him after she died and even teaching him how to do it. Still, he doesn't know how to do it and he never learned because he always wanted his dad to do it.

Kai jumps a little when he hears a car honking from outside. He knows that it's his ride to the funeral and since it's for his dad, he has to be there early. Kai quickly looks back in the mirror and removes the tie from his neck, folds it, and puts it in his jacket's inside pocket. He gives his hair one final tousle before heading out the door.

Even if everything in his life is falling apart, at least his hair looks great.

-o-

People from all parts of Commonwealth came together to attend the memorial service. High class, middle class, and low class all congregated as one. The service was made public and Kai didn't object to that since he is aware of how much of an impact his father had on the city. That was what kept him in office for fifteen years: he catered to each and every one of their needs.

As everyone finds their seats and prepares for the ceremony, many of them give Kai their condolences. There were so many that it makes him dizzy. He hasn't been directly looking at faces but past them since he found it hard to focus before his min would wander. Kai thanks and appreciates everyone for coming as he walks across the room. He heads to the front where he sees Torin preparing to start and his friends sitting nearby.

Kai makes his way over and they all stand up to individually hug him. Out of all the people in here today, these are the ones who mean the absolute most to him.

"Can one of you do this for me?" Kai asks, pulling out the tie from his pocket.

The girls look at the guys. Immediately, Thorne and Jacin shake their heads since they didn't even tie their own ties and Wolf wasn't even wearing one. Winter stands up and flattens her skirt. She takes the tie and puts it on Kai just loose enough for him in case he has trouble breathing during the funeral due to the powerful emotions. She knows it might happen from her own experience.

"You will do fine," Winter says.

"What?" Kai questions.

"Oh, that was for myself..." Winter mutters. "I don't particularly like funerals but you could say it was meant for you as well."

"Does anyone?" Scarlet asks rhetorically.

"I do," Thorne says. They all stare at him weirdly. "I'm not some sort of sadist. They always have some pretty good cake afterwards."

Everyone rolls their eyes at him except for, surprisingly, Jacin who sort of agrees. Nobody saw that coming, especially Thorne who felt some sort of respect for having Jacin be on the same page as him with something.

Once the funeral is about to start, Kai quickly gives Cinder a kiss before heading over to his seat which was right in the front and center of the room. All eyes turned to Torin who stood in front of everyone. He looks at Kai and Kai nods his head before he starts.

"Today," Torin starts, "we acknowledge a man whom most of us have known as Mayor Rikan."

As Torin talks, Kai immediately zones out since his eyes land right on his dad's coffin which is on display right behind Torin. It was an open casket and Kai couldn't bear to look at his dad's body without crying over it. He instinctively remembers his mother's funeral where his dad was carrying him and they were looking down at his mother's body. They dressed her in red, scented her with tea tree oil, and gave her a small bouquet of forget-me-nots to place on her chest and wrap her limp fingers around. He remembers his dad not crying a lot at the funeral, tearing up during the burial, and having his episodes at home where he even took off time from work to grieve.

 _"Your mom's no longer in pain, Kai,"_ his dad said as they stood over her coffin, _"she's free and she's healed. She now soars up in the stars, watching over you."_

Did Kai understand at the time that his mother was dead? Not exactly. He just knew that his mother was sick, not getting better, and never coming back from it. It didn't hit him until now that both of his parents were taken away by illness.

Kai looks up at the sky and there were no stars in it at the moment but it didn't matter because not only was his mother up there but so was his father. They may be buried under the earth together but they're really up in the sky, and they're both watching him.

So, what was Kai going to do about that?

Kai stands up and everyone turns to look at him. Torin shows a face of concern and that's when Kai realizes that Torin was probably in the middle of a sentence when he just randomly stood up, but Kai doesn't care.

Kai clears his throat. "I want to say something."

Kai wasn't expected to give a eulogy and when Torin asked him while preparing the funeral, he said no. Now, Torin is taken aback by this initiative. He steps aside and allows Kai to have the microphone to speak. Kai walks up and looks at the crowd, going to adjust his tie before realizing that it was already comfortable for him. He didn't realize that these many people showed up for the remembrance of one man.

"I have no words that are strong or accurate enough to describe how wonderful of a man my father was," Kai starts, "but I have a few things to say. My mother's been gone for twelve years and that's longer than the time I've had with her. As time passes, that same feeling will eventually come with my dad but those memories from both my parents are something that nobody can ever take away from me."

From where they're sitting, Cinder takes Jacin's hand on impulse. Jacin jumps a little since he never remembered a time where Cinder ever held his hand, but he accepts it. In return, Jacin takes Winter's hand with his free one and Winter takes Levana's.

"People won't always remember what you did or what you said," Kai continues, starting to choke up a little on his own words. "But they'll always remember how you made them feel. My dad was the kind of man who would not only introduce himself to everyone in the room - even if you already knew him and he knew you - but he would extend his hand out and give a handshake and a smile; all before asking how your day was. That's how someone learns about you. That's how you become approachable to people and make their day with your kindness."

Scarlet wipes her tears with the sleeve of her jacket, trying her best to make it a subtle action and failing at it. Wolf pulls her close from one side and on Scarlet's other side, she sees Thorne offering her some tissues because he and Cress were crying as well. Scarlet takes one and passes it to Wolf before taking one for herself. She knew that he was trying his best to not start tearing up.

Kai starts crying as well. "I know that nobody lives forever, but he should've lived even just a bit longer. To me, my dad was the best dad I could've ever asked for and I will miss him terribly. I will not be ignorant to think that I will be the only one grieving since I am not the only one here today. He was the heart of Commonwealth and losing him was like taking that out and the blood no longer knowing where to go. Coming from the both of us, Commonwealth has always been a nice and beautiful place to live and we would love to keep it that way."

-o-

After the funeral, everyone continued to give Kai their condolences and even commenting on the beautiful eulogy he gave. After about an hour of that, he quickly grabs a water bottle to drink from as he finds his friends who were waiting for him at the side. When Kai approaches them, nobody has anything to say because anything they would've said was something Kai has already heard from other people.

"Now what?" Wolf asks.

"No more funeral talk," Kai says. "We have just been through that and I feel like I'm suffocating."

Cinder nods. "Now that the Selene revelation is out, we can tell you about Artemisia."

"Do you want to?" Scarlet asks, putting a hand on Cinder's shoulder.

Cinder shrugs. "I know that I can't think too much about the past because we're in the present, and there were hard times back there but I feel as if you need to know that this can happen to people because it did. There are certain things in this reality that we don't want to talk about because they don't directly interfere with the lives of others, but sometimes talking about it is the best option."

"What is there about Artemisia?" Kai asks.

Cinder, Winter, and Jacin look at one another. They know what happened back in Artemisia that led to the move to Commonwealth and it was a lot of events that eventually culminated into one. It was truly a mix of every emotion in the book.

"I can tell you what I know about my mother's presidency," Cinder says. "Then again, those details may not be as accurate."

"There's how Levana married my father and Cinder became my step-cousin," Winter suggests.

"How Winter and I started dating," Jacin adds.

"Wow," Cress says shocked, "that sounds nice."

"It gets worse," Winter mutters. "There's also how my father died, how my mind became scattered, and how I got my scars."

Suddenly, all of their eyes turn to the three scars under Winter's right eye that point downwards like icicles which she emphasized with highlighter powder. Those have always been a question to the ones who don't know, but those markings ironically made her more beautiful so they just never really questioned it.

Thorne chokes on the delicious cake he got from the reception. "Those weren't from a cat?! Cinder, you lied to me when we first met! If this funeral cake wasn't so good and we were somewhere else, I'd be incredibly hurt."

Cinder shrugs as she takes a bite of Thorne's cake. Admittedly, it was some good cake. Thorne is now mad about the bite that was stolen from his cake rather than the cat lie.

Winter smirks. "I really wish these scars came from claws..."

* * *

 **The fact that today is Father's Day (not planned, just a possibly and horribly timed coincidence) makes this chapter 1000x sadder.**

 **Well, now you know what the next arc will be about. We will be going back in time to see the story of Artemisia! Just a heads up that because I'm leaving town and graduating, I won't be updating until early July but on the bright side, I have the next arc already fully written.**


	51. Burned to Cinder: Part One

**And now, the story of what happened in Artemisia. Here, you will learn more about President Channary Blackburn of Luna, Selene Blackburn, how Selene became Cinder, how Levana married Winter's father, how Jacin and Winter started dating, how Winter got her scars and started losing her mind, and how the Blackburns ended up in Artemisia. Therefore, these are all FLASHBACKS.**

 **It's a big arc that I finished a long time ago so be prepared.**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part One

Artemisia, the capital city of Luna which was located on the eastern hemisphere of the Earth. It was a city of endless summers and flourishing opportunity. People were fascinating and fashionable. Life was splendid and glamorous. Everything there from the civilians and the landmarks was beautiful. At least, it was on the surface...

Artemisia sounded like a fairytale but behind the enchanted forest, it was actually a filtered reality and no matter how much of a spin was placed on the stories, the city became a ghost town of sorts, littered with milestones and memories. The city was once full of happily ever after but that stopped being a belief once she entered the parliament.

Channary Blackburn, firstborn of the Blackburn dynasty. She was a woman of captivating intellect and beauty, cruelly imprisoned in a poisonous character; she was a gallant woman and very charming, but charming people can be very manipulative; she is ruthless: you could tell her to jump off a cliff and she wouldn't do it not because of fear but because she wouldn't want to kill herself.

Six years younger is the second Blackburn daughter, Levana Blackburn. She had a wickedly alluring appearance and vibe to her. There was nothing wrong with her looks since she was naturally in better shape than most married women her age. She had no fear of heathens since she had always lived in the midst of them.

Both sisters were the same: dark-haired, dark-eyed, tall and narrow-shouldered, slender, and long-legged. In designer heels, they were over six-feet tall. Their faces looked to be articulately sculpted with every feature perfectly shaped and proportioned.

Growing up as a Blackburn, they were taught one thing: using their glamor to manipulate people to believe their lies was their specialty. That was how their status was founded, built, and maintained.

That was what made Channary the President of Luna at such a young age of thirty years old. She won the election by a landslide and even though most of Luna did not want her in office, she got it handed to her and ignored those who opposed. The moment she got power, she used it primarily to advance herself and those who supported her.

Channary made her Cabinet the way she wanted: Levana was her Senior Advisor once she was done her undergrad degree and even though she got flamed for the nepotism and Levana's youth and inexperience, she did not have one care in the stars about it since she hadn't her power and sister under her control. The remaining members were the wealthiest industrialists and most handsome men Luna had to offer. Their qualifications and marital status didn't matter to her. As long as Channary had a selection of fine men to screw around with, she was satisfied in more ways than one.

Luna was destroyed during Channary's rule. She abolished the possibility of re-election since she saw herself to be in power for as long as possible and got rid of all possible opposition parties. The press was heavily censored. She had control of what was being published about her, only the best words of praise were circulated.

The upper class flourished during her rule, the middle class survived, and the lower class fled to the neighboring countries: The Earthen Union or The European Federation. This caused tensions between the nations and they wanted her out of power, but Channary batted her long lashes and did not see them as threatening towards her power. Wars were started but their fires died down as fast as they started.

She was the one in charge here and she was for almost twenty years.

-o-

"We had a deal, President Blackburn!"

"The devil makes them all the time," Channary responds with her signature flare.

Channary doesn't even look at the man she's conversing with as she walks down the carpeted hallway in her best stilettos. The poor man trails behind her large strides, continuing his argument.

"You promised not to administer trade protectionism towards European goods!" He yells at her.

"I have my own domestic producers, you imbecile," Channary responds sharply. "How will they thrive with your goods coming into my markets? You're in business so you got to keep moving to make money. If you're so concerned with tariffs and quotas, put some on Lunar goods in your markets. It's not like that would change the inelastic demand for my goods. Now, get out."

"You bitch!"

Channary turns back and to his surprise, her eyes are smirking. "I'm a president, the attitude comes with the job."

The man opens his mouth to fire back a response but gets grabbed by Channary's security and escorted off the premises. Channary huffs as she straightens the wrinkles on her dress and pushes back the free strands on her hair to flow behind her shoulders. She continues walking down the hallway, heading for her office.

"Levana!" Channary calls for.

From the next wing, Levana pushes her chair back from her desk with a roll of her eyes. She stands up and takes a sip of wine before starting to head over to her older sister. When the dictator calls, you have to answer or be executed. That was a rule that didn't need the eighteen years of Channary's power to solidify.

After spending her entire life with Channary and her transcending bossiness from their childhood mansion to parliament, Levana has grown so used to it that she expected it. Not a day goes by when Channary does not yell her name. After their parents died, Channary was in charge and now she was in charge of the country. Levana was never free from her older sister's power over her.

The closer she gets, the more Levana smells tyranny and wrath. She should've brought some holy water to drown her sister in.

Levana enters Channary's office to see her sitting on the front of her desk, hunched over and lighting a cigarette. Channary flips her hair as she straightens up, puffing smoke as Levana steps closer to her older sister.

"What do you want?" Levana questions. "To be feared?"

"To be wondered at," Channary responds. "This is not egotism, baby sister, people want to marvel at a leader. It just helps that I'm beautiful."

Levana rolls her eyes. "Tell that to your approval rating."

"That number is purely subjective."

"What a Blackburn response." Levana grins and Channary does the same as she inhales her cigarette again and puffs out smoke again. "Why am I here? You know I would never smoke. If this is about your trade war with The European Federation, that is why I told you we should be trading with The Earthen Union instead. They have a bigger and more stable economy than The European Federation anyways."

"It's not that," Channary says, standing up. She steps closer to Levana (the smell of smoke now stronger to her).

"Is it militarization?"

"Levana, I'm pregnant."

Levana's jaw drops to the ground. The first thought that came from that reveal is that her monster sister was going to have a mini monster version of her. As if her life wasn't miserable enough.

"You better tell the father," Levana says. "You know who he is, right?"

Channary raises an expected eyebrow at Levana. Levana sighs disgracefully with a little grin. She totally expected that.

"Typical..." Levana mutters. "The power of sex and ordinary greed and power always drive you to your carnal desires. At least you conceived instead of contracting STDs."

"You are overreacting," Channary responds.

"You screw with your Cabinet every day!"

"Not every day, it's more like every other day." Channary laughs loudly and obnoxiously. "Handsome men do not stay handsome for long."

Frustrated, Levana takes a calm and steady breath. If she had the habit, she would take a smoke and hope to die before meeting Channary's future baby. She waits for Channary to continue bragging in some way but Channary is expecting her to say something.

"What?" Levana grumbles.

"You're my advisor," Channary says, "you tell me what I should do."

Levana raises an eyebrow. "About your baby?"

Channary nods.

Levana doesn't even hesitate. "Abortion?"

Immediately, Channary slaps Levana right across the face with the hand that was holding the lit cigarette. Levana feels her cheek where a small and hopefully not noticeable burn mark resides. She shakes her head and fixes her hair before facing her sister again. Channary takes a fresh inhale of smoke before exhaling it right into Levana's face.

"Do not talk about my baby that way," Channary scolds. "That is your niece. If you were not my sister, I would've kicked you out myself for those words."

"You've been pregnant for what?! A day?!" Levana yells. "What do you want me to do? Have the press report on it?"

Channary nods. "They can all glorify my child."

"Whatever you're cooking in your oven is no royal or deity."

"Watch your mouth."

"Look at you and your mothering skills already." Levana gives her a sarcastic applause. "You know how Luna will react - your non-supporters will only be ignited. They hate you with a burning passion and now you'll have a baby suckling on your breast. You're putting your baby at risk."

"Again with the overreacting, Levana. My baby will be fine."

"Whatever you say. I'll go tell the reporters about your fascinating news. It'll just make you look bad since your not married or with a man for longer than an orgasm."

Channary puts out her cigarette. "Good enough. A bad idea is better than no idea."

-o-

The next morning and the months to follow, headlines about Channary's pregnancy were reported throughout all of Luna. The reactions, of course, were mixed. From those who loved and worshipped Channary, they were delighted to hear that she was bringing another version of her into the world. Others believed that President Blackburn having a baby might impact Luna positively since her maternal features might bloom into the country. Then, there were the ones who spread the stories and conspiracies about who in the Cabinet was the father.

Channary never took a day off work during her pregnancy nor did she put down the cigarette, despite doctors and even Levana telling her to do so for the sake of the baby's health. Channary did care for her baby and believed that still being in power during her pregnancy would pass onto the baby. Levana called that fictional and was surprised that her baby did not miscarry or have any issues for the nine months.

Then, the day came when Channary's water broke and she along with Luna was gifted with the birth of Selene Channary Jannali Blackburn.

* * *

 **In all honesty, this chapter was so much fun to write. (And so topical as well lol).**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- See Channary as a mother to Selene and Levana attempting to pursue Evret.**


	52. Burned to Cinder: Part Two

**I had so much fun writing the banter between Channary and Levana. Even though Channary is unbelievable, I loved writing her.**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Two

Channary sits in her office with a fresh cigarette in one hand and a pen in the other as she looks over her paperwork. Her eyes alternate views between her papers and her baby who plays on a carpet on the ground nearby. Channary could've gotten a babysitter for Selene but she refused. She wanted her baby at her hip the whole time and with her reputation in Luna, she didn't trust just anyone to watch over her daughter. Besides, she didn't make the baby just to have some stranger coddle it. Also, maybe the maternal aspect would make her more likable and gain a new support base. Who else wouldn't like a woman who could handle being a single mother and run an authoritarian state at the same time?

Channary looks over at Selene and notices that she's crawled all the way over to the fireplace which was luckily turned off. Channary immediately gets up from her seat, coughing along the way, and rushes over to pick up her now-dirty baby. She laughs as Selene rests on her chest, not caring if her clothes are stained with soot and charcoal now. Selene tugs on Channary's hair as she looks back at the fireplace.

"No," Channary scolds playfully as Levana walks in. "No fireplaces for you, my little cinder."

Levana snickers to herself as she watches her sister and her niece. "I just noticed that the two of you are dirty women. She's dirty with actual dirt and you're dirty with men."

"Ha, ha," Channary states as she circles back to her desk with Selene in her arms. "Look, Levana, I will not be attending the military gala tonight so it will be just you."

"Already hit with postpartum depression? I'm sure Luna felt the same way."

Channary rolls her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. I trust no one but my blood to watch over my baby and I have a last-minute appointment."

"I couldn't care less for the reasons behind your absence. It actually makes my day. I wouldn't miss this military ball for the world."

-o-

Levana didn't care much for the military gala except for the fact that it was a celebration for the soldiers and she was deeply in love with one. General Evret Hayle was his name and if there weren't so many complications with him, Levana would've snatched him right up. What stood in her way was that Evret was already married to Solstice Hayle, a trendy fashion designer, and they were madly in love with one another which made Levana sick. However, Solstice died during the delivery of their daughter which meant that Evret was now available and a single father. Levana was, as morbid as it was to say, delighted to hear about Solstice's passing. It almost got Evret to pull out of the military, but Levana charmed him into staying for the sake of the country.

That was when she knew that he had a chance with him.

At the gala, Levana takes a sip of her cocktail and bites off the olive when her eyes land on Evret. She sees his dark brown skin, curly hair, and muscular body underneath that well-fitted tuxedo. She could see his eyes glimmering emerald and grey. He was a beautiful man and she wanted to eat him alive.

This is her chance.

Levana strides over. Her raven hair is swept up and held in place with golden combs. A ruby choker circles her neck, matching her lips. It's impossible to guess her age since no lines vandalize her face. Many assume her to be way older than she is due to her status, position in her sister's Cabinet, and the way she presents herself. But in reality, she was barely a day over her mid-twenties. Men stare and try to get her attention to pull her over but she doesn't care about them because her eyes are fixed on one man. It doesn't matter how much attention you get if it's not from the person you want.

"Evret," Levana greets with an effortless flirtatious vibe. "Hello, you look well this evening."

"Hello, Levana," Evret responds casually. "Will Channary be attending this evening?"

"No. She is at home with Selene. She refused to hire a sitter."

"I understand. I left Winter with a babysitter and just want to be home with her right now." He laughs a little at the thought of his baby. "I hope she isn't being much trouble."

"Speaking of your little Winter, how is she?"

"She's doing well. It's hard to raise a daughter given that - "

"Evret," Levana cuts off, putting a hand on his chest to stop him. "You don't have to continue. I know how much you lost. It wasn't only your wife but the mother of your daughter who greatly resembles her. I understand that since Selene unbelievably looks so much like Channary. Just know that if you need it, I am here and available for you and Winter to be a stepmother in case she needs a maternal touch in her life."

Levana looks right into Evret's eyes as he thinks about her proposal. His eyes glow for a moment and that's when Levana thinks that she's snagged him, but he backs away.

"This doesn't feel right, Levana," Evret tells her. "It's too soon."

Levana nods. "Of course. I understand. Just know that my offer will still stand for as long as it lingers in your mind."

-o-

After the gala, Levana returns to Channary who she sees sitting on a table with a cigarette in her hand and misery written all over her face. That sight brings a sadistic smile to Levana's face as she approaches her sister and takes a seat across from her. She still has on her dress from the gala and crosses her legs as she waits for Channary to say something, possibly about how baby Selene is sleeping in the next room or maybe even the fireplace.

"What happened, older sister?" Levana asks her with an expected Channary vibe.

Channary exhales smoke. "The doctor has diagnosed me emphysema."

Levana scoffs as she fans away some smoke with her hand. "Well, I wonder why."

Channary glares at her. "Shut up."

Levana smirks. "And the tragic yet oh-so desired downfall of Channary Blackburn begins. I'm so delighted to be a part of it."

"Please, my lungs feel like they're collapsed but pain is simply weakness leaving the body. I will be fine and will see my baby grow up. For fun, a friend from university and I planned a marriage between my Selene and her son who's Selene's age. Mariko married the Mayor of Commonwealth."

Levana rolls her eyes at the idea of an arranged marriage since that's something Channary would do: have control over anything she can - even if that was just a simple and childlike fantasy.

"Have you professed your pathetic schoolgirl crush for Evret Hayle yet?" Channary questions.

"Possibly," Levana responds.

"You're ten years younger than him and he has a newborn baby. Are you trying to be a trophy wife?"

"Not at all."

"Thought so. You're no pretty prize for anyone to win."

Levana should've seen the insult coming but she got distracted over the conversation being about Evret. She never understood why Channary often insulted her looks when they both looked the same. They both resembled gypsy queens with dark hair, skin that always looks slightly tanned, and sharp cheekbones.

"Evret will eventually marry me," Levana states.

Channary cackles until she coughs into her arm. She takes a breath to compose herself. "Don't worry, baby sister, when you're ugly and someone loves you, you know they love you for who you are. As an older and wiser woman with more life and male experience, I wouldn't advise going down that path. It will only lead to heartache. And to think that _I_ made _you_ my advisor."

"As if I have a heart," Levana retorts.

"I believe you do and it's located underneath your and equally non-existent dark soul."

Channary cackles again. Levana hopes that her irritating laugh wakes up Selene in a fit of cries that will keep Channary up the whole night.

"Oh, just die already!" Levana yells at her.

Channary raises an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you love that..."

-o-

After Levana left, Channary walks up to Selene's nursery which brought her out of breath. For once, she didn't have a cigarette in her hand or a snarky comment in her throat. She leaves the lights off in Selene's room, using only the moonlight to navigate up to the crib. Once she's made it, she rests her arms as she peeks over to look at her daughter.

Channary never planned to have a daughter but when she found out that she was pregnant, she loved every minute of it, especially when she found out that she was having a girl. It was a chance to pass on her glamorous life to her own creation. To her, it didn't matter who Selene's father was because she was her daughter. (And besides, she only screwed around with well-rounded and handsome men).

At least, until however long she has left.

Her lungs are collapsed and there was really no turning back from that. She will never see her baby grow up so all she had to do was plan and hope for the best for Selene.

Channary traces the fine dark hair on Selene's sleeping head. Selene turns in her sleep but does not wake up.

"I might soon be going to the stars, Selene..." Channary whispers to her. "I have lived a young woman's life of brutal perfection. You know, you've got a lot to learn about the world. It's yours to play with so you make it the way you want. You hear me, Selene?"

No response. It's not like she expected one.

Channary sighs. "Forget it, you're just a baby and I shouldn't be laying all of these depressing aces on you. I'll tell you this though, you're going to have to be a whole lot tougher if you want to make it. Your life has just begun and there's a ton of things out there that you've never laid eyes on or could imagine."

Channary leans into the crib and plants a kiss on Selene's forehead.

* * *

 **Just an FYI, this is not like _Fairest_ in which Levana is a teenager. The ages are altered and Levana is already an adult here, as I have mentioned.**

 **If anyone is interested, I have a new _Wonder Woman_ one-shot titled, _No Man's The Godkiller_ ready to read.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Levana's life drastically changes after one phone call...**


	53. Burned to Cinder: Part Three

**I finished the next arc today so might as well get publishing on this one.**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Three

In the middle of the night, Levana wakes up to the sound of her phone ringing. She picks up her phone from the nightstand and doesn't look to see who it is. When the other end starts talking, Levana sits up when she realizes she does not recognize the voice at all.

"Wait..." Levana says, running a hand through her hair. "Who is this?"

 _Unknown: This is Joseph Todd, Channary's lawyer._

"Why in the stars are you calling at this time?"

 _Unknown: Your sister has died._

-o-

Those words echo through Levana's mind and she wouldn't believe it unless she saw it to be true with her own eyes so she got out of bed, dressed up, and headed straight for the morgue. It was too good to be true without proof.

Levana enters the eerie institute in the middle of the night, looking radiant in her crisp white button-down. She's always been able to make her work clothes look fashionable instead of something she was forced to wear to the office. She dressed for this occasion as a stylish woman wrapped in refined mystery, even at this ungodly hour of the day.

Levana enters the laboratory she was directed to and sees Channary's lawyer, Joseph Todd, standing by a body that lies in the table while covered with a white sheet. Levana heads over and excitedly pulls back the sheet just over the face and sees exactly what she wanted to: Channary's face. Her sister is dead and she looks at the corpse smiling triumphantly. She thrived that Channary suffered from illness before dying instead of biting the dust instantly. At least she felt pain and knew she was going to die sooner than she hoped for.

Joseph shuffles over and is silent to Levana's overt joy. "I'm only saying this as a form of formality: I'm sorry for your loss."

"Actually, this is a blessing," Levana replies.

"I can tell. You two hated each other, right?"

"Despised. Complete and utter revulsion. This is the best news I've heard all day. I'm sure Luna will be just as thrilled as I am."

"I understand that you two may not have gotten along but she was your sister."

Levana scoffs. "Please. Channary shouldn't have been a part of the presidential race let alone the human race. I guess that when you're part urchin, you eventually get called back to the sea."

Joseph nods. "To follow protocol, Miss. Blackburn, I must read you Channary's final will and testament."

"Go on but I don't care for my sister's dying words. Tell me the main gist of it and what I'm getting, if she bothered to gift wrap anything for me."

"Well," Joseph starts as he starts flipping through the will. "She has named you as the executor of the will and put aside some money for ongoing fees such as myself, her house staff, personal team, etc."

"Understandable. Now, fast-forward a bit."

Joseph nods as he continues flipping through the will. "You get everything else."

Levana stares in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"It says here, 'All remaining cash and assets, including my remaining presidential salary, my estate, stocks, bonds, and jewels, I bequeath to my beloved daughter, Selene Channary Jannali Blackburn.'"

"That's typical but not me. She pushed Selene out so why not give everything to her but the baby needs a guardian for her to inherit everything."

"I was just getting to how the two are connected." He clears his throat. "'Now, the most important of them all, as for my beautiful daughter, Selene Channary Jannali Blackburn, I grant her full guardianship and custody to my sister and her aunt, Levana Jannali Blackburn.'"

Levana is speechless. She didn't expect or want to have Selene as her own. She just got released from Channary after being busy in her life and now she is still her prisoner in the form of a guardian. Now that she thinks about it, she remembers Channary saying that she only wants her blood to watch over her baby so now it all makes sense. The only thing gift-wrapped about Selene was if she was swaddled in a blanket and wearing a headband with a bow on it.

"Luna will explode," Levana states. "Considering Channary's reputation, they might come after Selene. We could publish a story saying that Selene was given to her biological father."

"Who is the father?" Joseph asks.

Levana shrugs. "Nobody knows, it's perfect. They could spend all the time in the world investigating and getting nowhere."

"You are changing this baby's life. You should change her name as well for her own good."

Levana nods, agreeing with him. "I'll just change the first name. I'll play Selene off as my own until the chaos dies and after that, nobody will really care, trust me. I think we'll need a name so stupidly bizarre that nobody will question but analyze it."

"While you think of a name, would you like for your sister to be buried, placed in a mausolean or cremated?"

Levana stares at Channary's corpse as she thinks of a new name for her niece. She tries to think of something associative to Channary and all she can think of is smoking which is how she died. Levana also remembers seeing Selene constantly playing in the dirt or the fireplaces, and how Channary called Selene her little -

"Cinder..." Levana mutters.

"I'm sorry?" The lawyer questions.

"Burn her."

Rising, Levana leans forward and kisses her sister's cold cheek before walking straight out of the morgue to get the child. She figures that her sister could be burned to cinder without an audience.

-o-

A few days after, the news broke out that President Blackburn died and as Levana predicted, the country exploded. People were wanting a new reformist government now that the dictator was out. Channary's Cabinet was left to choose an interim president until they could figure out what to do now. Levana fled, cutting all ties she had with the Blackburn administration now that she had to hide a baby and not want to clean up the mess her sister made.

Often, Levana would hide baby Selene - now Cinder - in her jacket to create that illusion that she was pregnant so that when Cinder would be forced to be in public as she grows up, the stories of her being Levana's own child would fill the media. Like today, Levana hides baby Cinder in her black oversized trench coat that she wears with a matching veil over her face for her sister's funeral. Those in attendance were members of her Cabinet, Luna's military, her house staff, and some of her supporters.

There wasn't much of a funeral since they were just listening to a man talk and there was only an urn and some photos of Channary to look at. The room had an overwhelming scent of flowers and Cinder slept on Levana's chest the whole time which made her happy. Levana could've left Selene at home with a sitter but like her sister, who could she trust? Especially now that's Channary was dead and Selene was supposed to be somewhere else.

Levana hears people behind her sniffling and yet she was the only one present who was smiling. She didn't see this as a sad time but as one to rejoice over. Not only was Channary dead, but Selene Blackburn and the Blackburns dynasty we're pretty much burned at this point with only fading smoke trails remaining.

Once the ceremony ends and people start approaching the urn to pay their respects, Levana starts walking the other way, putting her hands over Cinder on the outside of her jacket. She heads over to her car and is about to enter the door her driver has opened for her but stops when she hears a baby sound. She looks down to see if it was Cinder, opening her jacket a little only to see that she was still sleeping in there. Levana turns around and sees Evret coming her way with his baby girl, Winter, in his arms. Levana raises her veil and gives him a welcoming smile. Not only was she delighted to see him but she couldn't deny that Winter was adorable, especially with that little afro on her head.

"Levana, I am sorry about your sister," Evret tells her.

"Thank you," Levana replies.

At the sound of Levana's voice, she feels Cinder move around from inside her jacket. Levana unbuttons her jacket a little more to reposition the baby. She's just happy that Cinder didn't start crying during the funeral and attract attention. Evert grins as he notices his Winter peek interest towards her by extending a hand out towards her.

"I've heard the stories but that is Selene, right?" Evret questions even though he already knows the answer.

"It is," Levana responds, "but she's now Cinder for security purposes. Channary made me her new guardian. What about it?"

"I remember your offer."

Levana perks up a little as she thinks back to the military gala and what she proposed to him that night. Her stomach flutters as she keeps her cool composure.

"Now that you have a baby and probably have no experience in parenting as do I, maybe we could help each other out so that we wouldn't have to do it on our own."

Levana slowly nods her head. "Go on..."

"I'm supposed to go back to work sometime soon and I can't handle constantly paying a nanny for Winter, and seeing that you now have Selene - Cinder, I mean, maybe we could raise the two girls together. They could basically be stepsisters - or step-cousins, to be more accurate. It would also be beneficial to Cinder and make it look less suspicious to anyone who might be wondering."

"That implies that we would have to be married."

Evret laughs a little as he readjusts Winter in his arms. "I guess it does."

-o-

As time passed, the fire caused by Channary's political downfall was slightly calmed and the Selene Blackburn conspiracies were not as popular; also when Levana moved her and Cinder's belongings into Evret's house, and when Winter and Cinder just started walking.

Levana and Evret didn't have a by-the-book fairytale setting as a wedding. They just went to the courthouse to exchange some hallmark vows, rings, and sign the legal papers that signify them as married. Winter got Blackburn attached to her last name yet Cinder did not since Levana knew that Channary would be against it since she disapproved of her pursuing Evret and Cinder was still her daughter after all.

Also present were Evret's friends who were the witnesses. There was Commander Garrison Clay who used to be a soldier like Evret but retired early to be the dean of Andromeda Academy. By his side was his wife, Clarissa, and their baby boy, Jacin, who was the same age as Cinder and Winter.

Levana didn't mind them. In fact, she admired and appreciated the Clays. They were a respectful and kind couple, and unlike Channary, Clarissa had a graceful approach to her beauty. They were both military wives with children the same age so that should be something to bond over if Evret were to go overseas and she was all alone at home.

Despite the simplicity and regality to the whole ceremony, Levana would say that she got her dream to come true.

* * *

 **I tried my best to stick to the books as much as possible but I really like the way I went with this.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- The family life of the Blackburns as Cinder and Winter grow up...**


	54. Burned to Cinder: Part Four

**I know that you all have been waiting for when our favorites would make their appearance and now, they are finally here...as young children.**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Four

After a few months, people realized that Selene Blackburn was no longer to be found in Artemisia. Nobody knew where she went. Her "disappearance" ignited rumors that slowly dimmed down as months turned into years. Selene was no more than an urban legend.

Now, the Blackburn girls were three-years-old and running around. Evert was occasionally deployed for a period of two months periodically and during that time, Levana had to lessen her workload in order to be able to take care of the kids since she didn't trust a nanny. She usually let them do whatever they wanted to as long as it wasn't anything dangerously ridiculous. Levana believed it taught the kids how to have a good sense of judgment which it surprisingly did.

What also happened while Evret was overseas was that Levana and the kids would be invited to the country club by the other military wives whose husbands were overseas or the soldiers who didn't get deployed this time. Levana would prefer to say no but she would always end up going. She was lonely without Evret but she went to the country club so Winter and Cinder could play with the other children who would come which meant she didn't have to directly keep her eye on them.

Like today, for instance. They were all outside on a sunny day. The women were sipping their rosé while the men were practicing their shooting with rifles and flying plates. The children were off in the distance, playing with whatever their imagination provided.

Levana wishes the rosé would take an effect on her but after her third glass and still being able to hear the other wives talk, she knew there was no hope for her. She didn't fancy most of the other soldier wives since they were typical Artemisia women who fancied Channary Blackburn, their cosmetic surgery, and the status their war hero husbands gave them. As a woman continues talking, Levana can't help but think about what a motor mouth she is. Maybe her plastic surgeon did that and she can't help but brag about it?

Out of all the women here, Levana only likes Clarissa Clay because she was a very humble and classy, tributes which she passed onto her son who loves to play with Winter; and Jade Kinney, mother of a young boy named Liam, who was a straightforward woman who always speaks her mind and never made Levana lose hers.

"No woman should ever get dirty like that," one of them says. "Don't you agree, Levana?"

Levana knows that they're talking about the fact that Cinder likes to play and build things in the dirt, like boys typically would, even though they overtly mean the men shooting plates in the air as a masculine sport just to show how ladylike they are. There was one thing that Levana would not accept more than the mind-numbing conversations she often had to endure and it was insulting the Blackburn name. That was the final straw. But, Levana decides to react calmly as the other women wait for a response from her. Instead of badmouthing them in return, she puts on a fresh coat of lipstick before striding away from the women. Red lipstick was an external sign of an internal fire. She approaches the men and takes one of their guns, loading and cocking it.

The men look at her skeptically before starting a new round. Plates fly out from all directions and Levana shoots them all, making it rain porcelain pieces. Once she's out of ammo, everyone is silent as she blows the smoke from the gun and slings the empty gun over her shoulder and walks right through the crowd of women.

The fact that she did that so perfectly shocked the men whereas the women were more focused on how she didn't smudge her lipstick, chip her manicure or break her heels. She gives the other wives a weird pretend smile that makes her look like some sort of beauty queen serial killer.

"Those cutthroat Blackburns really know how to slice their way to a Hayle's heart," a man comments as Levana blows them all a fake kiss.

-o-

"Ahh!" Winter screams. "Jacin, save me!"

Winter flails on the grass, staining her princess gown as she lies there helpless. A distressed hand lands on her forehead as she continues to call for help. A shadow forms over her and it's Liam Kinney (or simply Kinney), standing above her as he acts like a monster. He wears a sign that says dragon around his neck (some letters were written the wrong way, all in crayon and glitter) and makes fire-breathing noises which sound like dry heaving.

"Jacin!" Winter continues to call for.

Jacin gallops over as if he were on a horse. He stops in front of Kinney who continues to play like a dragon. Jacin pulls out his stick-sword from his belt and starts prancing towards Kinney. Kinney jumps at him and the two boys start wrestling each other. Winter fawns and it all stops when their mothers yell at them. Kinney and Jacin stand up and brush the grass stains off their clothes so their mothers won't get any more angry with them.

"Jacin!" Winter yells, still playing the princess role. She runs over and throws herself at him like any other old damsel. "You saved me!"

"I would rescue you from any sort of trouble, no matter what it may do to my life."

Winter bats her eyelashes. "Awe, Jacin, that's so romantic!"

"I got it from one of my mom's soap operas."

"You're so resourceful."

"Where did that big word come from?"

"Stepmother's paperwork."

Jacin finds his face getting hotter with color as he puts his stick sword back into his belt. Winter continues staring right at him with an adoring toothy smile still plastered on her face. Kinney looks back and forth between the two of them, slowly backing away.

-o-

Across the grass, far enough from the fairytale re-enactment sits Cinder and her friend Linh Iko who build Winter a princess castle out of popsicle sticks, glitter, and tule. Linh Iko wasn't directly a military child per say but she was the adoptive child of the Linh family who had their ties with Luna's military. They lived down the street from the Blackburns and that's how Cinder and Iko became close.

"There's glitter all over my hands!" Cinder exclaims, rubbing her hands on her shirt which makes her glitter problem even worse.

"We need to make a stable for Winter's horses!" Iko says, grabbing more popsicle sticks.

Out of nowhere, Kinney comes out of nowhere. Continuing his not-really-monstrous dragon act, he stampedes through the popsicle castle, demolishing it to shards. Iko screams and Cinder continues to try and rid herself free of this glitter issue, not even noticing what Kinney did.

"Kinney!" Iko screams. "We worked hard on that!"

Kinney laughs. "Clearly, it wasn't dragon-proof."

Kinney continues to laugh as Iko resorts to dumping all the glue and glitter on him. Kinney throws some of it back on Iko and they start fighting each other. Some residue lands on Cinder and she whines.

"You just ruined a castle built by the one and only Selene Blackburn!" Iko exclaims at Kinney.

"Selene Blackburn isn't here and she's not a princess!" Kinney yells back.

"She's right there!" Iko points right at Cinder.

Kinney looks over at Cinder and can't believe that the girl sitting flat with glitter all over her and pieces of grass in her hair. He can't believe that the messy girl he's looking at is the missing daughter of the late President Blackburn but at the same time, he totally believes it. He heard that President Blackburn was a disaster and looking at Cinder at the moment, he has a new understanding of the phrase, _like mother like daughter._

"I can't believe you're famous!" Kinney tells her.

"Me neither," Cinder responds. "But if Levana asks, I never told you."

Cinder waits for a response from either Iko or Kinney but they're silent. They're suddenly covered by a growing shadow, stopping mid-fight and staring up in fear at something. Cinder looks over her shoulder and sees an angered Levana. Before Cinder could run, Levana grabs her and drags her away.

"You are not supposed to tell anyone about Selene!" Levana scolds. "That is the kind of secret that is never supposed to come out!"

"But Iko and Kinney are my best friends," Cinder argues innocently. "They told me their secrets."

"What secrets could they possibly have? They're children."

"I can't tell you. They're secrets."

Levana groans in frustration as she rolls her eyes. The reason she told Cinder about Selene at such a young age was because Levana knew that if Cinder found out as a teenager, she would possibly go through an annoying and unnecessary rebellious phase due to an identity crisis. Levana couldn't take that chance. That and a fetus Cinder couldn't talk back as much and preferred the name Cinder anyways.

Levana is about to punish her but as Cinder looks up at her, she almost instantly tenses up. She sees Channary's face except younger - those same sharp features and unspeakable beauty. And those eyes - those dark brown eyes. Levana was glad that all Cinder seemed to inherit from her mother was her face.

"Go back to Iko and Kinney," Levana says.

Without questioning Levana's sudden change, Cinder runs back before Levana decides to scold her for real. As she stares at Cinder and the phenomenon that is her genetics, about how she could inherit basically every physical trait from Channary which makes her father an even bigger mystery.

Levana snaps back to reality when she feels someone tugging at the hem of her shirt. She looks down and sees Winter looking back up with her big round eyes. She smiles at her stepmother and Levana rests a hand on the top of the curls she got from Evret.

"I'm hungry," Winter tells her.

"Come, let's get you some fruit," Levana tells her.

As they walk over to the table with the food, Winter skips ahead and Levana can't help but keep her eyes on Cinder. She regains her attention once again when she sees Winter holding a small plate out for her. Levana takes it and starts scooping some fruit pieces out for her.

"Having fun with Jacin?" Levana asks.

Winter nods happily. "He's my Prince."

"How charming," Levana smirks a little with no pun intended.

"When's daddy coming home?"

"Next week." She stabs a fork into a piece of honeydew melon before passing the plate to Winter. "Why?"

"Why does daddy always leave?"

"To serve the country."

"Like dead Auntie Channary did?"

"Not even close."

* * *

 **Don't sass me that Levana is too nice because to be frank, I don't think she's going to win the mother of the year award. And if you look into her cynical unorthodox parenting, there is some pretty legit logic in it.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Time for the early teenage years of the Artemisia children...**


	55. Burned to Cinder: Part Five

**Yes, I may have used this idea before. Come after me.**

 **Also, this chapter is both sweet and sad so don't come after me.**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Five

At thirteen-years-old, cooties have now become crushes and this time, the rumors about Jacin liking Winter and vice versa have been spreading like a forest fire. Nobody confirmed or denied anything, not even Jacin or Winter. But even then, Jacin and Winter still played the 'just friends' card even if they did have feelings under the table for one another that they didn't even share with each other. Still, at thirteen, it was typically puppy love or a hormone-induced puberty enabling these feelings, there was something truly genuine between Jacin and Winter.

"They do like each other," Iko says as she spies on Winter and Jacin from outside the ice cream parlor.

From across the street, Iko, Cinder, and Kinney hide behind a decorative bush with a view of the ice cream shop and inside are Jacin and Winter. At first glance, Jacin and Winter seem to just two friends getting ice cream but look a little deeper and the sweetness was present in more than just the dessert. They both stand too close to be just friends and their fingers always brush against each others' with the desire to intertwine.

"Why aren't you buying me a cone?" Winter playfully asks Jacin.

Jacin looks at Winter and the sprinkled ice cream cone in his hands. To his surprise, they're both looking at each other and not the delectable dessert.

"I only have so much money," Jacin says.

He takes a lick to sample and over-exaggerates how delicious it is just to make Winter jealous. Winter narrows her eyes at him in an attempt at jealousy but her mouth can't change its grin. Instead, Winter pushes Jacin's cone right into his face. As he removes it, he licks a little off as Winter uses her finger to swipe some ice cream from his face to taste for herself.

"I've had better," Winter says.

"You're actual trouble," Jacin tells her as ice cream drips down his face and he looks for napkins.

Winter raises an eyebrow in interest. "Trouble...I kinda like it."

Jacin scoffs a little. "Okay, Trouble, what're you going to do about this?"

Winter thought that Jacin was going to smash the rest of the cone into her face but unexpectedly, Jacin quickly cups her face and kisses her. Winter tenses up a little due to the shock but she eventually eases into it. The kiss is sweet and scorching and it would be even without the ice cream. There's a sugary ember in Winter's chest that becomes a melting inferno of desire for Jacin. First kisses are supposed to be awkward but thank the mighty stars that this one wasn't. Somehow, their mouths met perfectly and their breathing matches in rhythm. Their hearts and thoughts slow down.

From outside, the jaws of Cinder, Kinney, and Iko all drop. None of them saw that coming nor did they all really see the same thing.

"What a waste of ice cream!" Cinder exclaims.

Iko slaps her arm and Cinder jumps back.

"Was that really what you took from that?!" Iko yells. "Winter and Jacin kissed and you're concerned about the _ice cream_?"

"Yes."

Iko rolls her eyes. "Unbelievable."

Kinney laughs. "Believable."

"Seriously, Kinney?"

Kinney shrugs. "How should I have reacted?"

To both Kinney and Cinder's surprise, Iko screams for joy. That reaction scared them and got the attention of Jacin and Winter who both turn their way. Kinney and Cinder duck behind the bush and they both push Iko inside the bush so that they don't get seen.

After their distraction which made them separate from their kiss, Jacin and Winter look back at each other. Now that their faces were both covered in ice cream, they took the initiative to get napkins and wipe it off, laughing awkwardly in the process.

"Wow..." Winter mutters. "Jacin, I - "

"I'm sorry - " Jacin says immediately, "unless you liked it then, you're welcome."

Winter nods excitedly. "I liked it. I liked it a lot."

Jacin sighs out of relief. "That's great. I always put my energy into trying my best not to blush at the sight of your magnificent face and I just couldn't hold myself in anymore so I acted upon it."

Winter smiles at him. "I'm really glad you did."

-o-

Another day came where Evret was called to be deployed. Everyone stands in the kitchen where Evret was already in his uniform, ready for duty. Levana stands by his side as she watches Evret give his goodbyes to Winter and Cinder. She leans against the kitchen island as she clears the dishes from their breakfast.

Cinder turns around and salutes Evret. "Aye, aye, Captain."

Evret laughs to himself. "I already told you, I'm not a captain."

Cinder gives Evret another salute just for laughs. Evret smirks as he ruffles her already messy hair. He then turns to Winter who already hugs him tightly around his waist, her face pressing into his uniform.

"Come back," Winter tells him, her words blurring into his uniform. "Be safe."

"Always," Evret replies, kissing the top of her head. "And be good."

"Always."

Evret then goes towards Levana. He holds her arms and then proceeds to kiss both of her cheeks and she the same for him. They have been through this procedure many times before so this wasn't new for them. She then pulls him closer to give him a quick kiss and he keeps her there for a few seconds longer.

"Take care of the girls," he whispers to her.

"Of course."

-o-

A few weeks later, Levana hears a knock on the door. She goes to answer it, dismissing the house staff. Levana takes a peek through the peephole and sees a soldier in full uniform on the other side. She immediately steps back and pauses. If there was one useful thing that Levana's learned from the other soldier wives - specifically the soldier widows - it's that if during your husband's deployment comes a soldier who wasn't your husband knocking at your door, it was bad news. If it was good news, your husband would be the one sharing it.

Levana stands there, frozen. She didn't want to answer the door and hear the upcoming worst news of her life. She just wanted to live in this exact moment where everything was fine even if there was something looming on the other side. She doesn't want to hear what she knows will destroy her at the end.

The knocking comes again and Levana jumps a little this time. She isn't sure what to do. Her initial plan is to just leave the soldier there and maybe he'll just go, but that will only mean that it'll eventually come back.

"Who's there?"

Levana's body tenses as she hears that young voice. She turns around and sees that it's only Cinder.

"No one," Levana replies softly and sharply. "Go upstairs."

"It's a soldier!" Winter exclaims excitedly.

Levana takes a peek into the living room and sees Winter kneeling on the couch and looking out the window. She bounces off the couch and runs to the main foyer where Levana and Cinder are. They both are excited to see a man in uniform at their door but oh how Levana pities their innocent naivety (and yet, she was deeply envious of it).

The third round of knocking happens, only making Levana more nervous and the girls more curious.

"Go upstairs," Levana orders seriously.

Cinder and Winter don't move. Levana looks down at them and is not in the mood to have her patience be tested by them. Once the fourth round of knocking occurs and the girls still don't move, that's when Levana's patience breaks through its seams.

"Winter, Selene, get to your rooms this instance or you will starve yourselves tonight."

That's the straw that gets Winter and Cinder up the stairs and it wasn't the death threat. Levana never flustered when it came to Cinder's birth name, but when it does come out, that's when they know that Levana was about to lose her spades. But they didn't go to their rooms, the just crouched at the top of the staircase, behind the railing so they could still get a view of the front door. Levana knew they were up there but just didn't care anymore. She had to get this done.

The door handle feels cold in her shaking hand as Levana opens the door. Instantly, her eyes meet those of the soldier who removes his cap when he locks eyes with her. Everything is silent between the two of them and Levana realizes that she's still holding onto the door handle which has now become warmer in her grip.

"Ms. Blackburn?" The soldier questions for courtesy even though he knows that it's her.

Levana nods slowly as she feels a lump of emotion forming in her throat. She watches as the soldier opens his jacket and pulls out a letter for her. Levana takes it and unfolds it, reading the words to the best of her ability since the tears that are forming in her eyes start to blur her vision. Still, she knows what it says and it's why she should've left the door closed.

"I'm so sorry, Levana," the soldier continues.

Levana nods slowly. The soldier continues speaking but Levana can't bring it to herself to listen. All she can hear is Winter sobbing uncontrollably from the top of the staircase. She isn't sure what Winter is feeling right now since she just heard that she lost her father and Levana isn't sure how she's feeling now that she's a widow. It feels like being suffocated or strangled. And that's when Levana knew that she really had a heart because love is painful and at that moment, with Winter's cries in the background, she could feel it breaking. Little bits fall away until the whole thing finally cracks.

-o-

Evret's funeral was a week later and everyone attended. Unlike at Channary's funeral, Levana didn't wear a veil and this time, instead of Selene, Winter was attached at her hip. Both girls teared up for Evret as he got his soldier's farewell and people gave their speeches. They asked Levana if she was willing to make a speech. She declined, seeing no point. Evret was dead and nice words were of going to bring him back. People from all over gave their condolences but Levana did not say much since she just wanted to be alone, even with Winter by her side.

Cinder stands to the side as she sees Levana with tears in her eyes as she runs her fingers through Winter's hair and stares into Evret's open coffin, seeing a life that was taken in the war. She could never think of a time she has seen Levana cry before this moment. She was the strong and cold one in the family. So many thoughts run through Cinder's mind as she sees tears in Levana's eyes. Cinder just stands there, staring down at her sneakers which Levana didn't yet at her for wearing. She loved Evret like a father as well but she just couldn't bring it to herself to cry. She looks up when she suddenly sees Winter suddenly standing in front of her.

"Cinder, it's not bad to cry," Winter tells her. "People will be impressed that you're not a cyborg and actually have human emotions."

"Evret would tell me to stop crying," Cinder responds.

"Dad's not here anymore."

Those words hit Cinder like a wrecking ball. She backs up and runs to be somewhere else. Winter watches her run before turning back to Levana. Levana rests her hands on Winter's shoulders and searches for Cinder. When their eyes meet, Cinder's breath hitches. She sees Levana as a woman or a queen who always gets through, who continues to survive the death that surrounds her.

Levana looks away from Cinder since that when she realizes that she's now in full guardianship of two teenagers who aren't biologically hers.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Evret's** **death has taken its toll on Winter, even as the days turn into years.**


	56. Burned to Cinder: Part Six

**I'm only publishing because I have a certain chapter to publish on a certain date and it's a couple days away.**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Six

The dynamic in the Blackburn Mansion changed drastically ever since Evret died. Levana locked herself away from Cinder and Winter for a bit but especially from Winter. She couldn't bear to look at her since it just reminded her of Evret so much, but she couldn't send Winter away since she also wanted some form of Evret's presence to be around. All she kept for herself was the wedding rings.

Winter couldn't accept that her father was gone because that now meant she was biologically an orphan. Levana wasn't being the stepmother she was supposed to be since she just lost the love of her life and she had a cold exterior that Winter could never chip her way through. She started having nightmares about her father on the battlefield, bleeding to death and yelling for her help which she couldn't give. Those nightmares slowly became reality and she started seeing blood everywhere, from the walls to the streets to the people. She also started wearing makeup just to cover the fact that she has been crying and to look fine.

Levana couldn't bear to see Winter like this and she owed it to Evret to take care of Winter since that was their last conversation and having Winter was the closest she would have to having Evret around. Levana and Winter always had a distant relationship and ever since Evret died, it increased but they still relied on each other.

Then, there was still Cinder. She barely saw Levana and Winter for the next three years, keeping her distance. She could barely have a conversation without accidentally saying something triggering and when the tears came, Cinder would freeze and not know how to handle those kind situations. She didn't like being in a situation she couldn't fix so she didn't put herself in it.

-o-

"You're almost seventeen, Winter. Your father died three years ago and keeping this grief in you is not healthy..."

Winter looks up at the person who is possibly her fifth therapist. In all honesty, she has lost count of how many couches she's had to sit in and all the blank faces she had to stare at. Levana wanted Winter to go into therapy since she wouldn't talk to anyone at home without wailing about the blood that flowed from her nightmares so that she would at least someone would listen and be able to help her.

"Your mind is a tool that can bring you peace."

Winter still sits there lethargically.

"Look, Winter, you're here because you're a minor and your stepmother wants you here. And I'm here because she hired me. You could either talk or just stare at me blankly. Either way, I get paid." The therapist sits back. "So, just tell me what's up."

"I see blood everywhere," Winter finally responds.

He nods slowly, glad to finally be making progress. "Now, is this the blood of your father from the war? Or the blood of everyone who suffered during the Blackburn regime?"

Winter's heart quickens and she feels cold sweat forming on the edges of her forehead and temples. This was not a help session and based on that last rhetorical question, it will never be. She wants to run out of here but her legs don't budge. Her throat is limp and she can't scream, but when the door slams open, she immediately sees an angered Levana.

Levana immediately passes Winter and slaps the therapist across the face. She grabs the collar of his shirt with both her hands and holds his face close to her own. Her expression is fierce - eyebrows crossed tightly, eyes on fires, and lips a shade of red that was close to blood.

"The only thing I will be paying for will be your funeral," she snarls at him.

-o-

After that wreck of an appointment, Winter walks into her bedroom and closes the door. She heads over to her vanity and pulls out her makeup case, opening it and its many compartments as she hears Levana yelling through the walls at people over the phone due to today's incident at the therapist's office.

Winter rests her head on her elbows as she stares right into the eyes of her own reflection. She focuses on her own gaze, trying to ignore the blood splatters that her hallucinations place on the walls behind her, the table in front of her, and even her own face. Once she blinks, it's all gone but there are steaks on her face from where unconscious tears fell. That's she starts applying the primer to her face followed by layers of makeup that didn't look caked on. She manages to capture ever contour of her face with delicate brush strokes, hiding every streak that her tears left. They were Blackburns and had to look perfect on the outside.

She hears a knock on her door. Winter turns around to see Jacin entering and suddenly, she feels happier, lighter. It's almost as if she forgot about everything that happened earlier today. If there was one remedy that actually worked for Winter, it was Jacin. Cinder calls him the equivalent of human valine. Everyone has an addiction and Winter's just happens to be Jacin.

"I hope you bought the highlighter I wanted," Winter says excitedly.

Jacin sits on the small bench in front of her bed. He takes the bag he was holding and pulls out some bright yellow and pink markers. Winter sits next to him and gives him an annoyed face.

"Seriously?" Winter questions.

Jacin grins as he pulls out the cosmetic highlighter she really wanted. Winter claps out of pure joy as she takes it into her hand and opens it. She feels a sensation of ultimate pleasure as she swatches it onto her wrist and rotates her arm so she could see it shimmer in the light. Winter gasps excitedly at the sparkle which makes Jacin smile.

"Thank you, thank you!" Winter exclaims. "It's so blinding."

"Be warned," Jacin says, "that highlight combined with that smokey eye will set off a fire alarm."

"But my tears would put it out."

The mood suddenly shifts in the room from exciting to depressing. Winter sighs as she puts the highlighter down on her bed and she slumps forwards. Jacin puts a hand on her arm, trying to hold her hand and she leans on his shoulder. He knows that his friend is hurt and broken. She used distractions as makeup as an irrelevant subject, blotting her face when she would be at the verge of crying. She had put a make of makeup on to hide herself from the outside world, afraid of breaking because she never knew if the blood could be wiped away.

"You know," Jacin whispers, "you're really pretty when you cry but I won't make that happen."

Winter smirks as she looks back up at him, taking his hand in hers.

"You don't need all that makeup," Jacin tells her.

"A girl who wears her lipstick has her spades together," Winter responds.

Winter puckers her lips in an attempt to mock him and Jacin laughs to himself as he stares down at her lips. She backs away and shoved him a little as a joke before reaching into his pocket and grabbing his phone. Jacin tries to take it back but Winter's already opened the camera and is taking endless selfies with him and his unamused face in the background. They truly liked each other but didn't go as boyfriend and girlfriend since Jacin didn't see the importance of statuses when it came to feelings. The two of them established this a year ago.

"This one's cute!" Winter exclaims as she lies down on his lap and chooses one of the hundreds of selfies they just took. "I'm posting this one."

Jacin finally takes his phone back. "Live in the moment, don't post it on social media."

"Remember the moment, do post it. "

Jacin can't argue with that logic. "We look stupid."

"Stupidly awesome."

Jacin smiles. "You're suddenly in a crazy good mood."

"I'm actually just crazy."

-o-

Meanwhile, downstairs at the Blackburn Mansion are Iko, Cinder, and Kinney sitting on the couch. Iko and Kinney are at the ends and Cinder is in the middle even though this was supposed to be a two-person couch. They both know about what happened to Winter at therapy since she came home in tears and ran up to her room which was then followed by Jacin running up there, while the three of them just sat there in silence.

"Not to be rude," Kinney says to Cinder, "but you're the worst cousin ever."

" _Step-cousin_ ," Cinder corrects.

"I don't give a spade about the technicality. You both are in the same family tree despite different DNA! You're practically sisters."

"I don't need family advice from you, Kinney. I can't fix Winter's mind."

"Winter doesn't need to be fixed, Cinder! She needs to be loved."

"I do love her, she's my step-cousin."

"If you repeat that enough times, you can almost make yourself believe it."

Cinder tenses up and is ready to punch him. "Don't you dare - "

Iko immediately throws her upper half onto Cinder's lap to avoid the violence. "Okay! Let's move on..."

"Watch out or I will kick that robust ass of yours," Cinder says, pushing Iko onto the floor.

"Hey!" Iko exclaims as she gets back up but sits on the coffee table in front of them instead. "Yell at Kinney, not me. I see you as our friendly neighborhood cyborg."

Cinder rolls her eyes. She has gotten so used to being called a cyborg that it's stuck and she actually likes it. It's not that Cinder has no emotions because she does, she just doesn't know how to properly deal with them or how to deal with those of others. Levana says that really makes her a Blackburn.

Iko takes a breath. "Cinder, what Kinney is probably trying to say is that even though some people discover who they really are while broken down, sometimes suffering is just suffering. It doesn't always entice to build character in any way because it just hurts. Kinney, what Cinder is probably trying to say is that addressing Winter with kind words and caresses like tools to an object would restore a sense of control."

Cinder and Kinney are silent as they think over Iko' swords. They weren't going to say those exact statements, but Iko made them sound better. Cinder and Kinney both look at each other and mutter apologies to one another.

"I'm always right," Iko says happily.

Then, they hear footsteps coming down the stairs. They turn around and see Winter and Jacin coming down. Immediately, they greet them with genuine smiles and offer them seats on the already-occupied couch. Winter takes a seat on the arm and Jacin just stands beside them.

"Next week is the Lunar Eclipse which means that it will be incredibly dark," Iko says.

"Oh no..." Jacin mutters, knowing what will come next. "Where's the party this time?"

"Orion's Beach. It's the best place to see all the darkness and despite how dark it is, it's going to be a lit party. Everyone we know will be there."

"I don't think we should..." Winter says.

"Yeah," Cinder agrees. "Who knows what Levana would say."

"Levana says yes," Levana tells them.

They all shoot their heads around and see Levana standing behind them. They have no idea of how long she's been standing there and how she got there without being detected by anyone. She stands beside Jacin and looks at the others.

"I think a party would do you all good," Levana says, patting down on Winter's curls. "This will be the last summer before Andromeda Academy starts enforcing a more intensive military regimen with dorming and you should have fun. Go dance in the sand, have a drink or two, look at fireworks. Enjoy it."

"Are you scheming something?" Cinder asks her.

"Of course not. Go have some fun and be happy for a while."

Winter notices that even though Levana was talking to everyone, she was locking eyes with her.

* * *

 **Orion's Beach is a biggie...**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- The beach party is going to be lit in more ways than one...**


	57. Burned to Cinder: Part Seven

**HAPPY 100,000 WORDS!**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Seven

Orion's Beach is located on the outskirts of town, out of sight from the main road. Aside from its sketchy vibe, it was already full of teenagers sipping booze from plastic cups and glass bottles while swaying to the blasting music.

The sun has barely set and yet, the party is already alive with a fusion of scents filling the air - alcohol, spray tans, body sprays, narcotic smoke, and salt water. At the center is a giant bonfire that was expected to go for the whole night and paper lanterns that decorate the sand. People were already dancing on one another, digging their feet into the sand. Various beach sports like beach volleyball were being played both on the sand and in the ocean, next to the mechanical water bull that was cast out. There were also couples making out on beach towels as if they had a room to themselves.

The point of this beach party was to celebrate the Lunar Eclipse since that was the equivalent to any other major holiday in Luna. However, this party became the equivalent of a fraternity party; not like anyone was complaining.

-o-

With the combination of the perfect natural lighting from the setting sun, the blue ocean, graham cracker brown sand, and the pink sky, this was the ultimate photo op for Winter. She stands in front of the beautiful scene, wearing her hot pink romper with sandals, rose gold sunglasses, a glowing makeover, and hair up in a top knot. She throws several poses out for Iko who holds Winter's cell phone.

"The camera lens reminds me what kind of a light you are to the world," Iko compliments.

"Oh, stop," Winter says modestly even though she's so going to use that as her caption. She looks behind Iko and sees Cinder with a fresh drink in her hand. "Cinder! Come let's take a photo!"

"No!" Cinder yells back.

Iko looks over her shoulder and sees Cinder wearing a white v-neck t-shirt with baby blue parachute pants and sneakers. For once, all of Cinder's clothes were clean and her hair was tied up in a neat ponytail with no loose strands (yet, at least). Iko's jaw drops.

"Aces, Cinder!" Iko yells. "We need to remember that you can look presentable!"

Cinder rolls her eyes as she puts her drink down in the sand and trudges over to Winter. She poses beside her cousin, copying her smile and throwing her arm around her. Winter turns to look at Cinder for some candid shots and she unexpectedly gasps.

"Aces, Cinder!" Winter exclaims like Iko did moments ago. "Your highlight is popping!"

"That's called sweat," Cinder responds straightforward.

"We need a pic with all three of us," Iko says.

Iko looks over her shoulders and tries to find the perfect photographer. She spots Kinney and the moment he accidentally makes eye contact for her, he tries to make a run for it until she calls him over. Kinney unwillingly walks over, dragging his feet through the sand. Iko gives Winter's phone to Kinney as she tries her best to run over in her long tanned skirt with a slit on both sides that went up to her mid-thigh which she paired with a black bando and neon pink slides. The three of them pose, sandwiching Cinder in the middle against her will. Kinney just keeps his finger on the camera button, making it take hundreds of photos in a second, hoping that he wouldn't have to be here for the next hour.

"Done," Kinney says. "Bye."

Before he could run off, Iko holds the back of his navy collared shirt. She takes his phone out from his back pocket and starts taking numerous selfies on it before running off.

"Iko!" Kinney yells as he chases her.

Cinder picks up her drink again and just dumps it in the sand since it got in there in the first place. Winter laughs to herself as they both watch Kinney try to catch Iko. He eventually grabs a volleyball from the players and spikes it at her. Iko falls, cursing at Kinney but he just takes his phone and leaves her in the sand.

-o-

As the sky starts to turn darker, Jacin finally arrives at the party. With each step, the sound of laughter and shouts grow louder, along with splashes of water. He holds a cold bottle in his hand, he pushes through all the drunk dancing people trying to find the one person he came to this party for. He spots her highlight in the increasing darkness and heads over to her.

"Jacin!" A slightly tipsy Winter exclaims as she runs over to him.

Winter jumps in his arms and wraps her legs around his waist. Jacin holds her with one arm as his drink slightly spills in his other hand. She wraps her arms around his neck and looks down at him with a glowing smile. Her hands rub the softness of his striped tank and she holds her face close to his.

"You're late," she tells him.

"I've been thinking," Jacin responds, smelling the intoxicating scent of booze on her breath and loving it.

Winter starts running her fingers through Jacin's blond hair. "What's so important to think about that you missed a good portion of an awesome party?"

"As much as I hate statuses, thinking of you are my girlfriend has a nice ring to it."

Winter's smile turns perplexed as the wind picks up and she keeps her eyes on Jacin. He's serious but in a good way, and Winter doesn't have to be sober to know what's going on. Inside her chest, her heart is clenching and unclenching, skipping beats and fluttering like a butterfly escaping its cocoon - like it's about to burst out and fly circles.

"You actually want to be my boyfriend?" Winter questions, as she gets off of him. She notes that it does have a nice ring to it. "But, Jacin, I'm a mess."

"No, you're perfect," Jacin argues.

"Perfectly messy." She playfully winks.

"That is exactly what I mean." Jacin smiles at her. "You make me feel as if I'm plugged into the sun. How can anybody be by your side and not fall completely and utterly in love with you."

A single tear falls down Winter's cheek as she continues looking at Jacin. Her smile returns for this is the happiest she's felt for so long. Winter begins laughing out of pure bliss and Jacin holds her in his arms. She uses one hand to trace his jawline before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Winter shifts her position so that she's wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Jacin holds her hips, pulling her closer to him. Their kiss is intense and passionate. They're so absorbed in one another that the loud party around them is barely heard. All they can hear is each other's heartbeats.

Just then, they part and their eyes are still locked with each others. The glimmer in their eyes is brighter than any star just making its appearance in the sky. They intertwine their fingers and begin walking again. In their easy silence, Jacin finds himself admiring her beautiful features: her cheekbones, full lips, sweeping lashes, flawless skin. And what he just realizes now is that he loves the way she says his name, really loves it.

-o-

"This is awesome!" Iko says as she shimmies on one of the beach tables. "I feel so alive!"

Iko dives into the crowd and they shuffled her around until she decides to park herself in front of Cinder as Kinney. She takes hold of Kinney and starts dancing with him as if she liked him. Kinney didn't know how to respond to this except to just go with it. He turns to Cinder for help but she just records it all on her phone.

"Iko...?" Kinney uncomfortably questions.

"I happen to be the life of the party but I don't drink," an obviously drunk Iko says. "I already lose enough control when sober."

"How much did you drink?" Cinder asks her.

Iko shrugs. "I'm not done yet."

"Spades..." Kinney mutters. "I started getting tipsy from the sun and one bottle."

Cinder snorts a laugh. "Lightweight."

Kinney gives her the finger and Cinder returns the gesture as she downs the rest of her drink, crushing the plastic cup in her hand, and dropping it in the sand. She laughs at Kinney as Iko continues grinding on her. She was the kind of drunk that was too much for Kinney or anyone because she makes people feel drunk just by her presence - like suddenly, the world's edges are dulled and all the colors coming from everyone else spin together like a kaleidoscope.

-o-

Cinder stops to slip off her sneakers. She's far enough that the noise from the party is softer but still close enough that she can still hear the bonfire crackling. She trudges through the sand and when she reaches the pier, she makes her way up the damp, wooden steps just as the moon makes its slow ascension. Through the steps, she watches as the sand gives way to shallow and frothy ocean water before it grows into cascading waves.

Once at the top, Cinder starts crossing the boardwalk. For starters, she's glad that there's no couple doing their business up here or else that would've been awkward. The cold breeze picks up and pushes Cinder back, but she continues her march forwards. She tastes the salt in her mouth and washes it down with the rest of her fruit-flavored vodka. Cinder reaches the end and rests her arms on the platforms as she puts the empty bottle beside her. She rests her head on her arms, inhaling the wonderful scent of the ocean.

If there was one thing that scared Cinder, it was the ocean. For the most part, it was because she couldn't swim since she just never learned how. It was just this vast and endless space of water that contained the unknown. The only way to find more about it was to just dive in. Cinder sometimes thought that was how she should approach her past and learn more about her mother and her unknown father. Levana censored the details she shared, giving Cinder only the surface or whatever the media said, but Cinder knew there was more. Everyone hides things and sometimes, they remain at the bottom of the ocean for survival and what's down there doesn't even matter. She just wanted to jump in and see what was there for her. The only problem is that she might get eaten alive by a shark or drown in overwhelming tides.

Cinder definitely knew she was drunk since those kinds of ocean-deep thoughts about oceans would never come to her sober mind. Maybe that was what it wasn't like to be under the influence of either alcohol or drugs: that feeling of casting over everything, of everything looking new and fresh and lit up from the inside all because of a filter out over the part of the brain that controls perspective.

And that's another drunk thought to note. If she were here with someone else and a full drink, she would've definitely toasted to that.

Cinder jumps a little when she feels her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulls it out and the bright light shines on her face. As she lowers the brightness, she sees that she has missed a flood of messages.

 _Homegirl Iko: Where did you gooooo, Cinder?_

 _Homegirl Iko: Did get lucky somewhere and with someone? ;)_

 _Homegirl Iko: Just remember - be the person you pretend to be on your non-existent dating profile._

 _Please Help Kinney: CINDER YOU BETTER COME BACK BC IKO JUST THREW UP ON MY SHOES AND I AM GOING TO KILL HER SO YOU WILL HAVE TO CLEAN UP HER BODY!_

 _Please Help Kinney: ...and my shoes._

 _Please Help Kinney: ...or just buy me a new pair with that Blackburn bank account of yours ;)_

 _Winter Hayle-Step-Cousin: Jacin and I are now official! I haven't been so happy for so long! :)_

 _Winter Hayle-Step-Cousin: The Jacinter ship is now sailing._

 _Winter Hayle-Step-Cousin: But text me where you are so I know you're safe and not buried in the sand or at the bottom of the ocean._

 _Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: I hope you're not passed out drunk somewhere because you're about to miss the eclipse._

Cinder smirks to herself as she puts her phone back in her pocket without responding to any messages. She goes back to the relaxing position she was just in and looks up at the sky just in time for the eclipse. Besides, being alone up here means that she has the best view.

-o-

Above Orion's Beach, most of the stars have been washed out by the velvet eclipse. Those natural and brilliant lights disappear in the phenomenon. The whole world around them just got darker, making the sparking bonfire, cell phone lights, and narcotic lighters so much brighter. People cheer and drink some more. The waves continue their steady roll and the warm breeze was like a whisper.

The wind picks up but everyone was too drunk and preoccupied with their drinks, dances, and dates to pay attention. Some lanterns fly right into the fire, catching flames, and slowly spreading it throughout the beach. It wasn't until the first scream that everyone else started noticing and reacting, but by that time, it was too late. The fire already had a mind of its own, igniting fireworks and exploding.

* * *

 **I'm happy with this chapter. Considering how long this is, it actually only took me a few hours to write.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- With a growing beach fire, will everyone make it out the same way they came in?**


	58. Burned to Cinder: Part Eight

**HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO THIS STORY!**

 **This is the chapter I really wanted to publish for this day.**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Eight

Back at home, Levana approaches her ringing cell phone. She puts down her wine glass and exchanges it for her phone to answer the call. Her phone has been ringing non-stop so Levana takes the hint that it's some kind of emergency.

"Hello?" Levana says.

 _Rikan: Ms. Blackburn? It's Mayor Rikan of Commonwealth._

Levana straightens up a little despite her being alone at the moment. She leans against the wall to keep balance since she was not expecting a call from him - she's never met the man, only heard of him. He was basically the man in charge of The Earthen Union under its president since Commonwealth was the biggest area.

"Hello, Mayor Rikan," Levana replies a little stunned. "I'm surprised to be speaking with you."

 _Rikan: I'm making a risky move here since I know you live far and have two girls in your care, but I am offering you a job as one of my advisors since Commonwealth and Artemisia are key economic points of our respective countries, and you already have the experience from your time as advisor to your late sister and a background in economics._

Almost immediately, Levana is inclined to say yes, but she thinks about what Mayor Rikan said about her having two girls here. As much as Levana wants the job, she can't just pull Cinder and Winter out of Luna and make them immigrate to The Earthen Union. They have lives here she wouldn't want them to despise her more than they already do.

Levana opens her mouth to respond but stops herself when she feels her phone vibrating. She looks at the screen and sees a flurry of missed calls from so many parents of Cinder and Winter's classmates and friends, and then an emergency alert of how Orion Beach is on fire. _The place where her girl are is on fire._ Levana takes her phone as she quickly puts on the first pair of heels she finds and starts running out the door.

"Mayor Rikan," Levana tells him, "I will have to call you back."

-o-

The sky is so bright and blinding in the intense darkness of the eclipse, being brought in the light once again by the fire that seeks to reach all the way up there. Fireworks explode in every direction within the fires in an array of sparks and colors, scaring everyone as they try to make their way off the beach. It's as if there was a ball of fire rolling up the beach, shooting off sparks - only the fireworks are noise; they yell and laugh and shriek and curse; its sparks are the booming voices. Everyone who once felt so bold and brilliant now feels small and afraid of their possible impending death on Orion's Beach.

Winter is frozen for a moment. She feels lost and confused, suddenly not knowing anyone around her since their faces just blur into a running mess within the blazing flames. She doesn't know what to do or where to go, so she ran. She runs as fast as she could so that she could quench the urge to scream.

Suddenly, she's falling.

Winter chokes on her own breath as her chest hits the sand and people run over her. Her lungs burn, the world spins, and something sharp scratches her face sharply against something unknown. She can't move and everything hurts - her face feels like it's torn apart and on fire. With a mouthful of sand, Winter screams dryly as her eyes start filling with her own blood.

-o-

Cinder pinches her shirts and fans it back and forth, letting cool air in since she suddenly feels overheated. Her hands touch her face and it's sweating all of a sudden. Strange, she finds it to be since the cool ocean breeze is no longer there. She feels her lungs overflowing with the fumes of burning smoke which seems off to her. Then, she hears approaching sirens, not the mermaids but the emergency services.

That's what snaps Cinder back into reality.

Cinder turns around and her eyes open wide at the sight before her. The entire pier that she is currently standing on is in flames and despite the alcohol hazing her mind, she is still very aware of what was going on. She is trapped and the only way out was to run through the fire and risk getting burnt alive, but her legs are too stiff in fear to move.

Cinder finally hears the bystanders screaming havoc which was the normal reaction to a situation like this. And all Cinder could think is that she has no escape from the pier. She doesn't have time to move, she only has time to think: 'If this life ends, it's been good because this is how and when I go to the stars.'

-o-

Lying in the sand, Winter can't see anything but blood. It's everywhere - on her body, her face, the sand, the sky, the fire - everywhere. When Winter cries and screams, she even tastes it in her mouth mixed with smoke and the drinks she had earlier. Her face feels like it's burning with a sharp stabbing sensation even though it's not on fire.

Winter forces herself to try and get back up. As she pushes herself up with her arms, she ends up falling back in the bloody sand. Her tears sting her face and she shuts her eyes tightly, making fists to try and resist the pain.

"Winter!" She hears someone call. "Winter, help me!"

Through the flames, Winter sees someone also on the ground, reaching out for help. She wants to help and get them both out alive, but she can't move. Winter's mouth is so dry that she can't even muster a response. Her head spins a little as she black out.

-o-

Approaching the asphalt of the road bordering the beach, Iko, Kinney, and Jacin all make it out. They pant heavily, finally being exposed to fresher air rather than pure smoke. Crowds of their classmates and friends make it out as well, rushing to their cars or to the aid of the oncoming emergency services, and boy, do some of them look terrible. Nobody no longer resembles the people they were in the endless stream of selfies.

The three of them chaotically search the faces, finding Cinder and Winter, even asking around comes up with no results. This means one thing and they know it: they're still in there. Iko and Kinney try their cell phones but nobody is picking up. Jacin takes a deep breath before taking off his tank top to use as a breathing filter and running back into the fiery beach.

"Winter!" Jacin calls for. "Cinder!"

Iko and Kinney glance at one another before running back in as well. Kinney rips off his top as well and Iko tears the bottom half of her skirt to do the same thing that Jacin did with his tank top. They search the sand, covering their faces to protect themselves from the flames as they continuously call for the Blackburns. Kinney turns his head and sees a body in the sand. He runs over and turns it over, seeing an unconscious Winter covered in her own blood and clotted sand, especially right under one of her eyes.

"Spades..." Kinney mutters, shaking his head. "Jacin! Iko! I found Winter!"

Kinney quickly checks for breathing and a pulse. His hands are shaking as tears start forming in his eyes. It's too loud for him to hear any life vitals. Kinney thinks to start CPR but he isn't sure if it's safe to do that when he isn't even inhaling clean air.

Iko staggers as she approaches them at the sight of Winter. She can't help herself but throw the torn part of her skirt at Kinney while she vomits to the side. Kinney uses the fabric to try and dab away at the blood on Winter's face.

"Jacin!" Iko calls once she's done puking.

She kneels on the other side of Winter and shakes as checks for vitals, unable to get results. Jacin bursts out from the flames which scares them a little. He sees Winter and the air is punched out of his lungs. His Winter, his Trouble, his now-girlfriend is covered in her own blood and blacked out.

"Cinder's on the pier," Jacin tells Iko and Kinney. "Get to her, I'll take care of Winter."

Iko and Kinney nod as they run off.

Jacin kneels in the sand beside Winter. He checks for vitals as well, gaining nothing. Jacin wipes at the blood on her face, putting the piece of fabric from Iko's skirt on there like gauze to the best of his ability. He picks Winter up bridal style. He forces his arms to stiffen because if they shake, he will drop Winter. As Jacin runs through the flames to get help for her, tears form in his eyes as his heart rate accelerates exponentially. He mutters some form of prayer up to whoever in the stars is listening, hoping that they will hear and answer.

"You're okay, Winter..." He mutters hopefully. "You're okay..."

-o-

Cinder doesn't remember the last time she was frightened but right now, she is scared to the stars as the flames grow closer to her. They mimic hands as they pounce on her, wanting to grab and burn her. She tries to back up more but is already against the pier. Her elbow accidentally hits her empty drink and she watches it fall five stories into the cascading ocean below. Cinder swallows whatever fear was in her throat before feeling the need to barf it all out again.

"Selene!"

Cinder whips her head around at the sound of her birth name. Confusion swamps her. She couldn't breathe past the ball of fear and disorientation choking her. For some odd reason, she was expecting to see her mother within the smoke and beyond the ocean, hypnotizing her to jump in like a siren. She squints her eyes and looks closer, realizing that she was hallucinating due to all the smoke inhalation and fear.

"Cinder!" Iko screams, waving her arms.

"Over here!" Kinney exclaims, doing the same.

Cinder exhales as she stares at Iko and Kinney on a jet ski in the middle of the ocean. She responds by waving both of her arms back at them to let them know that she sees them.

"Jump, Cinder, jump!" Kinney screams. "You have no other option!"

Cinder's heart stops again. She can't jump because she can't swim and they know that. She glances back at the fire that was a foot away from her fingertips and then she looks ahead at the ocean where her friends are. Cinder realizes that based on where she is, she really has two options: die or dive.

She chooses to dive and hopes she doesn't die while doing so.

Cinder climbs on the pier and jumps in. Mid-air, Cinder thinks that she made the right choice. But when she hits the water and starts to sink because she freezes and her limbs don't know how to move in water, she thinks that she was better off on the flaming pier. Cinder tried to swim up to the surface and tread water, but her body just keeps on going downwards. She eventually pushes herself up to the surface and manages to take a quick breath before sinking back in.

"Kinney will save you!"

"What?!"

Suddenly, something falls in the water nearby Cinder. It sounded like an explosion, pushing Cinder back and causing her to scream underwater as water rapidly hits her face and enters her nose. Something finally grabs her and takes her up to the surface. That's when Cinder sees that Kinney is holding her up, keeping them both afloat.

"How were you sinking?!" Kinney asks as Iko pulls the jet ski up closer to them. "Are you some kind of robot?!"

Cinder scowls at him as he pushes her up on the jet ski. Iko pulls her in and then does the same for Kinney. She starts driving again at top speed along the coastline, finding a place where they could run off without catching on fire.

"Are you okay?" Iko asks her.

Cinder has trouble breathing as she lies there with a hand on her chest.

"Kinney, breathe air into Cinder's lungs," Iko yells him.

Kinney and Cinder both yell in disgust, making Iko laugh a little.

"Where's Winter?" Cinder asks. "And Jacin?"

"With each other," Iko replies, "don't worry."

"Are they okay?"

Iko takes a breath. "Winter was passed out in the sand when we found her but she's now safe, Cinder, just like you - minus all the blood on her. Don't worry, we saved you."

Cinder mockingly rolls her eyes. "I'm not some princess, Iko. I didn't need saving. I'm a freaking queen and I could've handled that."

Iko rolls her eyes in the same way. "If the beach wasn't on fire, I would have Kinney push you back in the ocean."

"I'd appreciate it. I need a cooling off from the freaking fire!"

Kinney pushes Cinder back in. Cinder screams when she almost falls in but Kinney has been holding her arm the whole time, preventing her from actually splashing in. Cinder slaps Kinney and the three of them laugh.

-o-

From the smell of smoke, their nostrils now get used to the smell of hospital antiseptic. Everyone went straight from the beach to the nearest emergency room and it was in chaos. Doctors and nurses were running all over the place, screaming orders and codes while checking up on whoever came in from the beach. To the side, Cinder, Iko, and Jacin all sit, wrapped in shock blankets to dry off after having been given a dose of oxygen through an inhaler. They thought they were fine until they felt as if the fresh air added another's decade to their lives. Kinney went to go get them some refreshments. Now, they just wait for Winter who was still being checked on.

Jacin and Winter arrived at the hospital before the others. Luckily, when they arrived, the doctors took her in immediately and she had a pulse which made Jacin feel lighter. However, they had to check her face since that's where the bleeding came from and that's all Jacin knows since they didn't let him in to see it all. Then, he got examined by some nurses.

"Some of those burns look so bad..." Cinder says, shaking her head. "I don't think aloe vera would help."

"Maybe a fire extinguisher would..." Iko mutters. Cinder smirks and Jacin doesn't react.

"We should've never gone to the party," Jacin says as he paces back and forth in front of Iko and Cinder, "we should've never had drinks - "

Cinder raises her head from resting it on Iko's shoulder. "Relax, Jacin, what's done is done. We can't go back and regret things."

"How the stars are you so fine when you almost got burnt alive and drowned?!" Jacin yells at her. "You can't always be fine. Nobody is ever always fine!"

"Hey! Stop screaming at me!"

"I won't stop until I feel that fire in my soul!" Jacin quivers a bit. "I thought Winter was dead, okay?! I thought that I lost her when I just got her!"

Cinder is silenced as Kinney comes back with fresh water bottles and cups of ice chips. He distributes them before taking a seat beside Cinder and definitely notices the tension between Cinder and Jacin.

"How are you all feeling?" Kinney asks.

"It all hurts but I'm alive so I can't complain," Cinder replies

Jacin rolls his eyes at her. Cinder glares at him as she whips an ice chip at him. Jacin bats it away and Iko has to stop them. Cinder glares at Jacin and she knows that she should be thanking him for getting Winter here instead of bickering with him, but by Jacin's face softening once Cinder's eyes drop, that indicates that he knows she's thanking him. That's how their relationship works: they hate each other, but they kind of don't.

Cinder gnaws on an ice chip, feeling shaken and exhausted now that the adrenaline was leaving her body, but she feels grateful. Winter is alive. Jacin is alive. Iko is alive. Kinney is alive. She is alive.

"Ma'am, you are not allowed in there!"

"Don't tell me what to do or you'll end up on a stretcher!"

And to the sound of clicking heels at top speed enters Levana being chased down by a nurse. She almost runs up to them, looking distraught as she immediately checks on Cinder by touching and rotating her face uncontrollably, not really caring if Cinder was hurt there or not (thankfully, it wasn't). Cinder's face distorts, not used to this weird and unnatural maternal aspect of Levana.

"You all smell like a bar, salt water, smoke, and drugs," Levana says as she stands up straight again. "What the stars happened and where is Winter?!"

"The Lunar Eclipse came, it was dark, we were all drunk - and then the beach was in flames," Cinder replies vaguely yet in full detail. "As for Winter..."

Cinder was hoping that someone else would pick up from where she trailed off but nobody else does. Cinder looks past Levana and stands up when she sees a doctor holding Winter's arm. Levana turns around and tenses up at the sight of Winter's clothes stained in her own blood, hair a mess, and her face bandaged up. Her eyes never leave Winter and her fingers delicately trace Winter's face as the doctor explains that Winter was lucky her eye was not affected. She only has three deep cuts underneath her eye resembling icicles that will definitely leave scars. Levana nods as the doctor excuses himself and hands Levana some creams and antibiotics for her.

Jacin touches Winter softly as he makes her sit next to Cinder and drink his water. Winter doesn't move and even though she's conscious, she acts as if she wasn't. Levana blinks and looks away, unable to look at Winter like that. It almost feels as if she has been stabbed, seeing Evret's daughter like this.

"I should've never left your side to talk to the guys," Jacin apologizes to her, taking her hand in his. "I'm sorry for not getting you sooner."

Winter waves it off as she holds the bandages over her face. Jacin silences himself as he puts his hands in his pockets. Cinder shakes a little as she walks off to the side and Iko watches her go, sighing.

All of their eyes look up to a television in the corner of the emergency room. It shows aerial footage from Orion's Beach as its flames stay relentless. Fire crews work as hard as they can to put it out. People were still leaving the beach and entering the emergency room.

 _Reporter: Incoming reports from Orion's Beach so far have declared that there are countless injured and one casualty. We'll bring you updates as we learn more._

"I can demand for some cosmetic surgery," Levana tells Winter. "It will lessen the scars and make them look like they were never there."

"Leave them as a remembrance," Winter replies softly. "Someone was calling for me to save them and I couldn't. I don't know who it was and now they're dead because of me."

"There was nothing you could've done," Levana responds. "Look at you, Winter."

"I could've stayed home but you made me go to this party."

Levana's eyes narrow at Winter. "Are you really blaming me for all this? If you stayed home, this still would've happened and you would've blamed yourself for not going and stopping something way out of your control. Don't you dare blame me or yourself, Winter, don't you dare. Be grateful you're not the dead one."

Winter isn't sure how to respond to that and neither do the others. As wicked as it seems, Levana did have a point. They all drank and played with fire - things they weren't supposed to do and now one of them paid the ultimate price for it.

* * *

 **And this was my best attempt to still tie in Selene's nursery fire and Winter's scars to be as similar to the books as possible. At least for the scars, Levana is still at fault in Winter's eyes (no pun intended).**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Artemisia becomes too much for Winter as the days tick down...**


	59. Burned to Cinder: Part Nine

**To that one guest who wrote several times that they like how I write Levana nicer than she is in the books, I thank you with my heart and soul.**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Nine

Cinder sits on Winter's bed and the two girls are in silence. They both have nothing to say to one another since anything they try to mention somehow returns back to what happened at Orion's Beach and the guilt that Winter has for having that late person's life on her hands. It only adds to the blood she hallucinates more often than before. Even though the two girls are as close as ever, there are still some things they can never talk about.

"Everyone is at fault, Winter," Cinder tries to tell her for what is possibly the hundredth time. "We all drank and had a bonfire. Alcohol just makes a flame grow out of our control. Why do you feel this responsible for it?"

"I've already lost too much..." Winter mutters, leaning back on her bed frame and hugging a pillow on her lap. She changes her gaze from the wall to her orphaned cousin. "Do you feel the same kind of emptiness I do?"

Cinder takes a shaky breath. "This isn't about me. I don't remember my mother and I have no clue who my father is. I can't feel empty over something that never filled me."

"I know you're avoiding my question with that rehearsed answer."

Cinder crosses her arms and gets up to leave, not wanting to be here anymore. She doesn't look back at Winter as she opens the door.

"Cinder, wait," Winter calls.

Cinder stops at the doorway and leans against it as Winter scurries to her feet. She goes over to the corner of her room and pulls out a tied-up plastic bag to give her.

"Can you throw this in the trash for me?" Winter asks.

Cinder takes the bag and can't help herself but look to see what's inside, especially since it's kind of heavy and lumpy. She takes a peek and is surprised to see all of Winter's makeup in there. That's the red flag that tells Cinder that something is wrong. They're rich enough to safely say that they have way more money than they necessarily need but Winter is throwing away so much money in makeup, some of which is still in its original packaging.

"Why?" Is all Cinder needs to ask her.

"I can't hide these scars," Winter replies, pointing to the ones underneath her eye that were just starting to heal beautifully.

"Yes, you can," Cinder responds. "It's makeup, it's supposed to fix that."

"It doesn't work that way."

Cinder just slowly nods her head as she backs away from Winter with her trash bag of makeup. Happy Winter would've said something like _'makeup isn't magic'._ Cinder closes Winter's door behind her as she walks down the hallway and heads down the stairs. At first, Cinder thought that Winter's makeup was the only complex thing she would never understand, now, it's a combination of the makeup and her scars.

-o-

Levana looks up from her paperwork when she hears her phone ringing. Unable to directly see her phone under her messy work, she pushes the books and papers on top to the floor and feels the hardwood of her desk to see where the vibrations are and she sees her stapler moving. Levana lifts it up and finds her phone underneath it. She answers the call without seeing who it is just so it wouldn't go to voicemail.

"Hello?" Levana says in one breath sounding rushed. She pushes away from her desk a bit.

 _Rikan: Ms. Blackburn, is this a bad time?_

"No, not at all." Levana takes a breath. "I'm sorry for not returning your call right away. Some...complications occurred with my girls."

 _Rikan: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is it all good now?_

Levana exhales sharply. "Not really but we'll manage."

 _Rikan: So, about the job offer - I highly admire your experience in that extreme setting._

Levana scoffs. "Extreme is an understatement for the hell my sister ruled but why do you suddenly need me on board?"

Levana's face suddenly shifts and she finds herself sitting up straighter in concern as she listens to Mayor Rikan of Commonwealth reveal his spreading sickness. This teeters Levana more to saying yes but her eyes dart their way towards a photo on her desk of Evret with the girls as children. She knows that he wouldn't want her to take the girls out no matter how much better this job would be.

Then, Levana hears a soft knock on the door. She puts Mayor Rikan on hold as she sees Winter peek her head inside before entering, slowly closing the door behind her. Levana looks up at Winter and her puffy eyes, wanting to know what she needs that could be so important right now.

"What, Winter?" Levana asks.

At first, Winter says nothing and isn't looking at Levana. Sometimes, Winter's mind wanders. People sound like they need talking underwater. Other times, it's like Orion's Beach. Everything is chaotic, inflamed, bloody. Levana rolls her eyes to herself as she calls Winter's name again, finally getting her attention.

"Stepmother..." Winter mutters. "I can't breathe here anymore. Artemisia is just covered in blood and it's making me hear all these guilt-causing voices. Please save me from my own mind."

It's almost as if the stars were on Levana's side. She perks up with a genuine smile on her face as she walks over to Winter to console her only for her own benefit. Her arm curls around Winter's head until she's patting down on her curls and rests her head on top. Levana almost wants to scream happily at the perfectly timed request from Winter. To think that Winter was one of the only reasons holding her back and now she's the one enabling her to go.

"Don't worry, Winter..." Levana mutters with a grin on her face. "I will take care of everything. Go get something to eat and if you don't like anything, have Cinder go out and buy something."

Winter nods as she breaks from Levana and walks out of her office, closing the door behind her. Levana smirks and laughs evilly to herself as she clears her throat and puts the phone back to her ear.

"Mayor Rikan?" Levana questions. "I apologize for that interruption from my stepdaughter. However, back to what we were talking about, I will be in Commonwealth by the next month."

-o-

Almost an hour later, Levana takes off her earrings in front of her vanity. As she fidgets with her necklace, she drops the piece of jewelry when she hears the sound of someone angrily banging on the door with both fists. Levana rolls her eyes, knowing only one person who would make so much noise.

"Levana, can I come in?!" Cinder yells from the other side of the door.

Levana finally unhooks her necklace and drops it into her jewelry box. "Why bother asking when you're going to barge in anyways?"

Cinder bursts through the door and Levana turns around to lean against her vanity, rubbing lotion on her hands as she raises her eyebrows, having seen Cinder's reaction coming. She waits for the young girl to blow up right before her.

"I saw Winter packing because apparently, we're moving?!" Cinder exclaims. "Why?!"

"I've been emailing Dr. Darnel, a psychologist and neurologist situated in Commonwealth, for a while now," Levana responds. "I told him what I should do about Winter and he said that it would be best if Winter would get some fresh air and almost start something new in her life which is what Winter just asked me before I could pitch the idea to her. Also, I got a job offer from Mayor Rikan and I had to accept it. So, yes, Cinder, we are moving to Commonwealth which is the capital city of The Earthen Union."

"I would've like to be filled in on this!" Cinder yells. "Or at least asked for my input! This isn't fair!"

"Your mother would say that fairness is boring. And if we did have a conference, you would've gotten outvoted, Cinder, that's how a democracy works if you didn't know that like your mother did. If you don't cooperate, you will be nothing but a disgrace to me and Channary."

Cinder glares at her. "Both of your opinions don't matter to me."

"Tell that to her face," Levana says.

Levana shows Cinder's reflection in her vanity's mirror by turning it towards her and she freezes. It's her face but it's also a replica of her mother's face. Cinder only knows it's her mother's face from pictures she's seen and not direct memories. Levana readjusts her mirror and Cinder's eyes flicker back up to her.

"Start packing," Levana orders.

Cinder spins on her heel and slams the door shut on her way out. At this point, Cinder could feel the anger rising in her. It's something that's been happening ever since Orion's Beach. It starts as a migraine and then moves down to her limbs until she's vibrating. She can feel herself losing control and yanking out her hair until it just stops, and she finds herself in front of Winter's door.

Cinder opens Winter's door, about to yell at her but stops when she sees Winter with her back to her. She softly sings to herself about all the blood on the walls and the voices in her head and when Winter turns around, Cinder's breath is punched out of her lungs as she sees Winter's face. It's bare with not one crumb or smudge of makeup on it. Cinder is aware that Winter stopped wearing makeup a while ago but it's not until now that she notices the full effect. The scars are in full notice but they don't look like scars; the resemble beauty marks. Her hair is big and falling over her shoulders in curly tsunamis. The thing about Winter Hayle-Blackburn is that she could never look bad. It was as if she was genetically predetermined to always look amazing. She has liquid gold running through her veins and magic living in her heart.

She deserves the best which is why Cinder is speechless and shivering. Maybe if she wants to fix or _love_ Winter, she has to give her a new setting. Maybe a new start in a new town is what they'd need for their fairytale. Even though new beginnings are difficult, they could start from anything and if they decided that Commonwealth would be their happily ever after, then it will be.

Sometimes, the only person you really need is yourself and that's when it comes to the realization that it always feels worse before it gets better, even if you end up losing your mind during the healing phase. The only bright side to this is that crazy people never worry about being crazy. And maybe like Winter's beauty, some are born mad and others just remain so.

"Cinder?" Winter questions.

Cinder shakes her head, freeing herself from Winter's unconscious hypnotic spell. She takes an empty packing box from Winter and holds it to her chest.

"You know, Levana favors you," Cinder says.

Winter disagrees. "She does not."

Cinder nods to support her own point. "She really does. She actually kind of shows concern for you which is kind of creepy but still, it's there. Levana doesn't give a spade about me."

"Cinder, that's not true. You're her niece, you're her blood. I don't want you to hate me over something so petty."

Cinder gives a sad smile with a shrug. "I never needed Levana's approval but I could never hate you. You're family to me."

"I'm sorry about having to leave Artemisia."

"Don't worry about it. I've always wanted to visit The Earthen Union." That was a lie since she has never heard or shown interest in Commonwealth, not even after learning they were going to move there.

Winter smiles a little. "I heard it snows there."

"Winter will finally get to experience winter."

* * *

 **Yes, there will be a snow arc one day in the future. It's not in the next arc but in the next season (no pun intended).**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- A final farewell from those in Artemisia before the move to Commonwealth**


	60. Burned to Cinder: Part Ten

**To the beautiful guest who left those kind reviews (you know who you are), I am posting this for you :)**

* * *

Burned to Cinder: Part Ten

As her last hours in Artemisia come ticking down and the stars start flickering in the night sky, Winter finds herself lying on the roof of what is now their old home. For the longest time, Winter thought that this was the closest she would be to the sky until she realizes that she was going to be on a plane in a few hours. Everything is sparkling and pretty and despite lying on the roof, Winter feels as if everything is at her feet and she can do anything, be anything. A part of her regrets asking Levana to move but even though Artemisia is the place with her friends and boyfriend, she still fees heavy here, as if the roof was going to collapse due to her weight. She wants to be up there in the stars and fly away but at the same time, be kept grounded.

A vibration on the roof makes her heart jump. For a moment, she thought that the roof was actually going to collapse beneath her but then she sees that it was just her phone. Winter picks it up and holds it above her face, needing to lower the brightness so she wouldn't have to squint her eyes so much.

 _Jacin Bae: When can I see you?_

 _Winter: You can come over whenever you want._

 _Jacin Bae: Good cause I'm already here._

Winter sits up a little and sees Jacin climbing through the window she used to get here. She smiles as he takes a few quick steps to get to where she is - ignoring her yells for him to slow down so he wouldn't slip, fall, and break his neck - before he nestled down next to her. He exhales before moving so close to her that Winter could smell his scent of fresh soap and light cologne on his t-shirt _which she loves and will desperately miss the moment she drives off this property._

They both sit in silence to try to avoid the inevitable conversation they've been dragging on until this very last minute.

Winter huffs. "This is happening. Tonight. No matter what."

"I know," Jacin replies.

"We need to figure out what to do."

"Right, but - "

"No." Winter lies on her side, hoisting herself up on her elbow to get a better look at Jacin. "No more talking because we digress and that gets us nowhere. We still don't know whether to stay together or break up."

Jacin nods and the two of them are left in silence. They've known for a month that they would have to part ways. No matter what they decide - stay together or break up - they wouldn't favor either. Both endings would be played out as poignant and inevitable: a single tear, a sorrowful hug, a brave goodbye.

Jacin sits up a little, using his elbows as support. Winter looks down at him, unsure whether or not she should rest her head on his shoulder or if that will have a butterfly effect and drastically change the whole course of reality. She really wants to and he wants her to do so, but neither of them moves.

"There's no bad time to tell someone you love them," Winter whispers to Jacin, slightly leaning in closer to him.

The tips of Winter's hair brush against his face as Jacin inhales. He looks up at the stars before meeting Winter's eyes, seeing much brighter lights in there. They sparkle a little more since she can't remember if Jacin ever said he loved her even if it wasn't direct this time around - it was better than nothing since he wasn't good with this emotional fluff.

"If I didn't love you so much, I'd be hurt you were leaving," Jacin replies. "Let me tell you this, Winter, even if we're not together, we're together. I am in love with your strange because my heart is drawn to your crazy."

Winter can't help but smile even though unavoidable tears of joy fall down her face. "Crazy is the new sane."

Jacin laughs a little bit but stops himself since Winter is still going to leave. Winter lies back down, staying on her side and keeping her eyes on him. She slowly takes his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. Jacin glances down at their joint hands and holds them up against the stars.

"If you kiss me right now," Winter starts as she admires their hands. "I might just explode into a million pieces of shimmering, glimmering light. Your kisses or even hickeys are like Hallmark cards."

Deeply flattered and smitten by this girl, Jacin grins before leaning over on top of Winter, cupping her face with his free hand as he kisses the stars out of her. He kisses her with an intensity that is completely new to her. Winter runs and twists her free hand through his blond hair as his kisses travel from her face down to her neck and collarbone, and she pants heavily. When he returns to her mouth, their tongues tangle together. This kiss is something more urgent, something more desperate; he then pressed his lips hard against hers and she leans back in, kissing back until they part.

"Jacin..." Winter mutters, tears forming in her eyes this time.

"Shh..." Jacin whispers back, his lips lightly brush against hers.

Winter chokes on a sob so Jacin leans down again to take the sob from her and they're kissing again. It's passionate and loving again but a little sad this time since it plays as a glue to keep them both together. The beautiful bond between them will take some work to keep in its precious condition, but with their love, they'll be just fine.

-o-

The days leading up to the move, Cinder has been poring over articles about Commonwealth, trying to get a clearer picture of what her life will soon look like. She eventually stopped when they have been too much or when they were only catering to tourists. Cinder wasn't going to be a tourist, she was going to be an immigrant who was going to have a new life there. Winter didn't bother reading anything even though Cinder encouraged her since it was all going to be a surprise to her anyways. Cinder didn't want to agree but she conceded. It was one thing to read about a place which is someone else's opinions and thoughts, and it was another to step foot in that place and make it your own.

All of them: Cinder, Winter, Jacin, Iko, and Kinney all circle outside in the now-former Blackburn driveway, feeling the full weight of the moment as they share their bottled sodas. The time has come to say goodbye but the words haven't quite caught up yet. They haven't seen each other as much in comparison to the weeks before. The ones staying in Luna still have to focus on school since Andromeda Academy is becoming stricter as they get older and the ones leaving have been packing.

A breeze shifts through the branches of the trees that lean close to what is now their old house and a few leaves come twirling down. The realtor's sign with the word 'sold' in big block letters across it flaps back and forth, reminding them that this really is the last day. As they all watch them glow in the streetlights, Cinder and Winter can't help but think that this is the last time for a while that they will be with their best friends.

"In Commonwealth, it snows," Kinney comments just to get a conversation going.

"That's the only thing I'm waiting for," Winter says with a small shrug as she wiggles her toes in her sandals. She notes that when it snows, she has to change her footwear.

"Still," Iko says, "I hate that you're both leaving. Seriously, it's the worst. Life's crappy, no matter how you cut it."

"We're going to miss you," Jacin tells them. "Even you, Cinder."

"I for you, Jacin," Cinder says back.

Everyone follows suit, lifting their bottles and clinking them together.

"Cheers," Jacin says. "To us."

"To us," Winter echoes.

"But mostly to me," Iko says, breaking the spell and everyone gives her an exasperated look. "What? I deserve the most cheers out of all of you. I'm going to be lonely here except for those two losers."

"You're not a perfect friend," Winter tells Iko before looking at the others, "but your real ones. This - my life might have been weird or screwy or glamorous or imperfect or damaged or whatever, but it has never seemed better to me."

Everyone gives Iko her wish and overemphasize their cheers this time with small yells as well as Winter's statement. Iko points her bottle directly at Jacin and Kinney, spilling a little out from the neck with a small laugh. The two boys sips their liberally, having the same feeling from their end since they'll be stuck with Iko. They weren't happy yet they weren't completely unhappy either. There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would say at first glance that they were conspiring together. It was times like this that their secret life together in Artemisia burst together like stars upon their memories.

"If I don't come back," Cinder whispers, leaning in closer into the circle. "Just remember that Levana brought me there."

"Be careful in Commonwealth," Kinney tells them. "I don't know much about it except for that snow thing but someone might throw a straitjacket on you and it's hard to hit people back in those things."

Cinder gives Kinney a strange look and Winter nods her head grateful for the advice no matter how strange yet useful it sounded.

"Your wiring may be basic but you shouldn't be either," Jacin says to Cinder.

Cinder rolls her eyes at what may be the last cyborg joke she'll hear for a while. She glances at Iko and sees her friend with a watery smile before she lunges at her, throwing her arms around her neck. Winter gives Jacin a last kiss before she goes to hug Kinney tightly. Iko gives Winter a bear hug as Jacin tucks Cinder under his arm and Kinney messed up her already-messy hair until it actually resembles a bird's nest.

Cinder and Winter look at each other, taking deep breaths before linking arms. They march prominently to the car and get in, already seeing Levana in the front seat with her sunglasses on her eyes and applying a fresh coat of dark lipstick. The driver starts the engine and Cinder already feels carsick.

As they pull out of the driveway, leaving behind the three figures in the dark, each lifting a hand to say goodbye. As the Blackburns wind their way out of Artemisia, nobody in the car says anything. Cinder swallows a few times, trying her best not to fall apart unlike Winter who already has. Due to the salinity of her tears and the fact that her scars haven't completely scabbed over, she has to apply fresh bandages to prevent stinging and infection. Cinder did that task and as she seals them, she shakes as she meets Winter's eyes. Cinder holds Winter's head and rests it on her shoulder, holding her hand.

If someone has to stay sane, it was going to be here. One person losing their mind on a flight was one too many. If this was the start to their life in Commonwealth and they haven't even left Artemisia yet, what would their life in the new town, the new _country_ really be like?

* * *

 **And that concludes Cinder's arc. It was honestly one of my favorites to write so far. The next arcs will go back into the present and until then, guess who the next one will be about.**


	61. A Thorne in His Side: Part One

**Ah, yes, new arc and it is named right after our own Carswell Thorne and I finished writing this arc so long ago, meaning that this will be published periodically.**

 **Please keep in mind that this arc takes place RIGHT AFTER Kai's arc.**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part One

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

One early morning, Thorne unlocks the door to his grand estate and swings it open after a long night out. He shuffles to where the door opened and slams it shut, not caring who's still asleep since he knows that nobody is.

"Mom, Dad, anyone home?" Thorne asks obnoxiously loud on purpose.

There's no response, like he expected, only silence, which he also expected.

Thorne laughs to himself. "Of course you're not here. When are you ever?"

Bitterness aside, Thorne runs up the staircase and heads straight to the bathroom, leaving a trail of muddy footprints behind him. He turns on the light and opens the shower to get it started. He takes his phone out of his pocket and sees a text. Normally, he would ignore the text at the moment and shower since he cares a lot about his appearance and he is currently sweating and covered in dirt from last night's adventure with Wolf and dirt-biking. But this text takes his breath away and for a second, he thinks that the lack of sleep from his all-nighter is making him hallucinate nightmares but his eyes are not deceiving him.

 _Sweetheart Fallow: I'm coming back to Commonwealth for a bit. Can we meet up and talk?_

He has no words for her and he doesn't need them, so he leaves her on read.

 _Sweetheart Fallow: I know you're ignoring me. What are you doing tomorrow?_

 _Thorne: Having my tomorrow ruined by whatever you're going to ask me to do._

He just had to answer her to let her know where he stands (even though it's not that tall since that's still her contact name). Thorne hides his phone underneath his dirty laundry after he undresses and steps into the shower, making it hotter than usual not to only wash away the dried mud but whatever left him spooked from those texts. The former goes down the drain in a soapy stream whereas the latter stays on the shower wall for him to stare at and not forget. Thorne swipes it away with his palm as he turns off the water and steps out. He grabs his towel and runs it through his hair before wrapping it tightly around his waist and stepping out to go to his bedroom.

When he closes the bathroom door behind him with his phone in his hands, he turns his head and sees the family housekeeper, Jeanette, cleaning up the mud stains he left moments ago.

"Sorry about that, Jeanette," Thorne says.

She looks over his way and smiles at him. "Don't be, Captain Thorne. It gave me something to do for five minutes since your house is always so clean due to constant inactivity in it, and gave me the heads-up on where you were in the house."

"Right..." He mutters. Jeanette had it easy compared to other housekeepers. The Thorne estate was always clean since nobody was ever around to make it a mess. To add to that, Jeanette was paid so well and had generous vacations.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

"No, thanks, I kind of lost my appetite."

-o-

At Kai's place, Kai was in the midst of sorting through all of his father's things. It was hard to do since every item he picked up made him think and reflect, sometimes even cry if the memories that were triggered were too much for him. Then, there was the hoard of flowers of all types in different vases that ranged in sizes on every surface. All of those came from the funeral and he couldn't just leave them there (even though he seriously wanted to). It all made Kai realize that you can never love people as much as you can miss them.

Eventually, Torin and Levana stopped by to help out not only with the legal domestic issues that were still standing but with the ones in accordance to Commonwealth. The two adults wanted to start out with what happens to Kai, but he made them start with the city since that affected more people compared to just himself. Torin was elected within the late Rikan's Cabinet to be the interim mayor since there would be so much to prepare in terms of the future election.

"Kai," Torin calls, snapping Kai out of whatever daze he was in. "Are you ready for the reading of the will?"

"Don't we need a lawyer for that?" Kai questions for formality reasons as well as trying to prolong reading his father's dying words.

"I have it handled," Levana replies.

Kai looks at her. "What do you know about the law?"

"I went to law school in Luna after double-concentrating in political science and economics," Levana replies. "Never finished though."

"Why?"

"Channary became a firm believer in her dictatorship and nepotism," Levana smirks evilly as Torin and Kai keep quiet. "A will is a will anywhere and nobody will know or care if we had a lawyer present or not."

Kai nods as Levana pulls out his father's will from her purse sitting on a spot on the dining room table that had no flowers on it. Levana opens it up and her eyes flicker at Kai for a slim second before she starts to read it and already after the first few words, Kai zones out.

" - being of clear sound and mind, consider this document with its codicils to be my final will and testament."

He still couldn't process that his father was gone. Everything that happened the past few days was just a blur of condolences and flowers. The more vases that came into his house, the more often his mind would wander off into a deep and tight spiral of thoughts.

"I place my son, Kai Rikan, under the custody and guardianship of our closest family friend - "

His father is dead. Dead. Kai has no more parents and he isn't even an adult. He's still an orphaned child. He has more petals in his sight than years or even days on his life.

"As for our estate, I trust that my son, Kai Rikan, will handle the finance after the selling of the property when he should do so."

This wasn't a fairytale. There was no magic carpet or a genie. This was a tragedy. There was death and downfalls. This was his life now and he didn't like it.

"All remaining cash and assets, stocks, bonds, personal belongings, and anything that was failed or forgotten to be mentioned in this will, I bequeath to my beloved son, Kai Rikan."

Here he was comparing his current life to some sort of story when the only words he should be considering was his father's will. His father's last hopes and wishes for the future were being read for him and he can't even spare a part of himself to read it. How rude of him. His dad was only dead for a week and he was already being selfish. Kai sighs to himself as if he's the one who needs pitying right now.

Levana trails off when she looks up and sees Kai completely out of it. Even when she stops talking, he doesn't notice. Levana gives Torin a look and he's already glancing at her.

"Give me a moment alone with him," Levana says to Torin. He seems a bit skeptical. "Trust me, Torin, I have dealt with wills and grieving children. I know what I'm doing."

"Alright," Torin says.

Levana watches him walk out before turning her focus towards Kai. She snaps her fingers and Kai jumps a little when he returns to reality. His expression towards Levana is spooked and she takes a seat nearby him.

"Look," Levana states, "I know what it's like to not want to be present at a will reading. I had to sit through my husband's and listen to everything about him just change. I know you want everything to be how it was and it can't, and sitting here just makes it worse. Everything your father had, including you, is now moving around."

Kai says nothing. He just looks down at his hands which are fiddling around in his lap.

"If you don't want to talk to me, I get it," Levana continues. "Talk to Winter, if you want. She's been through this before and you may not believe this, but you are handling this better than she did." She takes a breath. "Kai, you are welcomed at my place any time."

Kai finally makes eye contact. "Thank you, Levana, I really appreciate it."

"It's the least I could do since your father was such a good man and all of your weird friends are always there anyways."

-o-

 _Andromeda Academy, Luna_

Jacin takes a deep breath as he wheels his suitcase down the stone pathway of Andromeda Academy. He didn't know he would be back so quickly. A part of him didn't want to leave Commonwealth but he knew that he had to. His parents were still here and he couldn't just leave them forever, especially after running away and having them worry for so long. And there was also Iko and Kinney who he couldn't leave alone with each other for so long or else one of them would kill the other. Also, there was still school but he didn't care much about that since that was what he was running from in the first place.

He doesn't have to knock on the door because it flies open and his mother pops out and hugs Jacin so hard that he almost stops breathing and falls over. He never knew that his mother and her skinny frame had so much strength but that was his mother for you. And then, his father joins in which makes Jacin feel truly suffocated. But he feels happy that he was being choked with love through hugs and not hands on his throat.

"We'll get back to you later, son," Garrison tells Jacin. "First, say hello to your classmates who need to get back to class."

Before Jacin could get a word out, he gets jumped by Iko who, he swears, came out of nowhere. He lands on the grass with a thud and has to push Iko off of him. Kinney comes over only pulling him up and not her.

Iko looks up at Jacin, shrieking excitedly and pointing at his head. "Oh, my stars! We're matching!" She holds up her weave that has strands of blue braids in it. "Now, we have to dye Kinney's hair!"

Kinney glances at Jacin who is laughing a little. "You should've stayed in Commonwealth. First, you get blue hair and now, you're laughing. Who the stars are you?"

"Someone to take a selfie with!" Iko says as she rises from the ground and pulls out her cell phone from the pocket of her uniform.

"Ah, yes, the true form of artistic expression," Jacin mutters sarcastically.

"Jacin really is back!" Kinney exclaims, faking an over-exaggerated gasp.

Iko wraps an arm around Jacin, snapping some selfies with them and their blue hair before handing Kinney her phone for some candid shots of them and their blue hair looking up at the blue sky. Jacin didn't like his photo being taking, especially when it was a selfie but today, he's in the mood for it. Somehow, he was blessed with this particular group of ridiculously amazing people and he needed these photos to remember that in case he ever thought to run off again.

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Cress sits in the food court of the mall and picks at her food a lot, taking apart her sandwich and rearranging it. In front of her sit Cinder who eats mouthfuls of noodles and Winter who dips her fries into ketchup. Cress laughs a little as Cinder takes a forkful of Winter's fries and combines it with her noodles before shoving all of it in her mouth.

The three of them decided to hang out since Winter needed a distraction from the fact that Jacin went home today and after circling the mall so many times that they lost count and got hungry, so now they're here eating. Well, Cinder and Winter were the ones eating and Cress was playing with her sandwich.

Cress looks up from her lettuce arrangement and her eyes fall on a girl who texts on her phone as she walks through the food court, stopping against the glass barrier as she continues to type away on her phone. Cress almost didn't recognize her without the Lunar Academy uniform and big round glasses. Now, she has smoother and perfect legs, light acne-free skin, long caramel hair, deep eyes, plump lips - she looks too flawless from the short time Cress has seen her before.

It's her. It's Kate Fallow. It's _Thorne's_ ex-sweetheart. The relationship they back then had was too goals for her to just be an ex-girlfriend. Lunar Academy worshipped then when they dated and they were only thirteen at the time when it started. And for a relationship that started in middle school (Luna Prep School), it surpassed the hand-holding and like-like feelings like shooting stars. When Thorne was shipped off to Andromeda Academy, he and Kate tried a long-distance up until he got expelled from there and sent back home. Rumor had it that Thorne only got expelled to go back to her. But, Kate was at the point of leaving town as well and when Thorne returned, he caught her making out with another guy. Cress came into town just when Thorne came back and witnessed the downfall of their relationship, only to start fancying the ex-cadet with the broken heart.

According to what Cress heard, Kate became the type of girl who blended in with magazine covers and didn't have to flirt to get attention. Boys would come to her because of her beauty. She would make her uniform skimpier and her cheekbones higher. All of that combined with high intelligence that was there before the blush and her relationship with Thorne increased her popularity and self-confidence. She is the girl who would call herself beautiful not because it was cocky but because it was confidence radiating throughout.

Cinder and Winter notice Cress staring off at something behind them. The Blackburn girls turn around and see the girl in short denim shorts and a tiny frilly shirt that Cress has a spooked expression for. Her face resembled seeing a horror ghost from her past.

"Do you see what she's wearing?" Cinder asks.

"Nearly nothing," Winter replies with a snorting type of laugh.

They look back at Cress and Cress can't help but notice how gorgeous Cinder, Winter, and even Kate are. Hot people flock together like birds migrating for the winter and there are so many of them in Cress' life that she didn't think of herself as one of them. Cress doesn't find herself as beautiful as Winter, bold like Cinder, bodylicious like Scarlet or breathtaking as Kate. _And those were only the girls!_

Cress looks like a shell - as if someone came in and sucked away every ounce of her life. That someone being Kate and she hasn't even batted a single lash at Cress. Cress didn't know her lungs could contain so much air. She inhales for so long that it makes herself dizzy. She starts to feel pain in her chest as if someone grabbed her heart and squeezed it tightly. Then, she feels tears on her cheeks. She looks down at her palms and sees that her fingernails have left painful crescent imprints by the time they were lifted off.

"She came back for him..." Cress mutters.

"What?" Winter questions.

Cress jumps out of her seat and runs to wherever her feet will take her. Cinder and Winter try calling her back before they have to follow her and see what's up.

* * *

 **I don't know if there was a communication error or misunderstanding but I am continuing this story! THIS STORY IS NOT EVEN HALFWAY DONE! Still, I love all my readers and your support.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- How will everyone's dynamic change when Thorne's ex-sweetheart returns to Commonwealth?**


	62. A Thorne in His Side: Part Two

**When I first planned out this arc and made my handwritten notes, I literally thought Kate's name was Sarah. So now, my notes are filled with Sarah which might confuse me when typing this in the future.**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Two

The whole way up, Winter always thinks about what she would say to Dr. Darnel. She can never think and listen to the radio at the same time, so it's always quiet in the car. Usually, she would just go with the flow of his questions and say whatever was on her mind, but all she could think about at the moment was Cress' panic attack at the mall yesterday.

Winter and Cinder finally cornered Cress after she collided with a store mannequin. After embarrassingly cleaning up their mess and parting from the crowds, Winter and Cinder finally got Cress to calm down with some gelato and she confessed that the, to quote Cinder, 'girl dressed for a nude beach' was Thorne's ex-sweetheart who is now more fabulous than ever.

Winter walks in and waves hello to the secretary before heading inside. She sees Dr. Darnel in his office and she goes catatonic like a shark turned on its stomach. What is she supposed to say to Dr. Darnel that wasn't along the lines of 'your daughter lost her spades yesterday please go talk to her'. Winter blinks and sees Dr. Darnel looking at her expectantly as if he was waiting for her to answer a question she didn't hear.

"I'm still crazy if that's what you asked," Winter says quickly.

Dr. Darnel looks at her a bit puzzled. "I asked how school was but alright."

Embarrassing, but Winter's been through way worse. She takes her seat on the couch, putting her backpack on the ground beside her.

The questions ranged from how she was handling the morbid curiosity of the other students about her scars. He spoke about her father's death and the fire at Orion's Beach. Nothing that was highlighted in her file but about how hard it was to allow herself to let go of the guilt of surviving and how it was important to move on. The remarkable quality about Winter is that she can always have a little breakdown, but then she's back on her feet, fighting against her mind again.

"Do you miss Artemisia?" Dr. Darnel asks her.

"Always," Winter replies, "but I'm very happy here."

"Now, about what you said earlier, has anyone ever told you that you're crazy?"

Winter smirks. "Crazy fun!"

-o-

Still wearing his school uniform, Kai enters The Rampion, taking in the sound of the bell on the door ringing as well as the smell of freshly salted fries. He heads over to the bar and takes a seat on a stool, dropping his bag on the ground beside him and lying down on his arms. Scarlet walks out from the kitchen in her work uniform and stops in front of Kai. She pouts her lip out a bit as she pats his head which causes him to look up.

"It's on the house," Scarlet says.

"What?" Kai asks.

"This."

Scarlet goes to the back and comes back out seconds later with two chilled strawberry milkshakes in tall glasses with a dollop of whipped cream and a syrup-glazed cherry on top. Kai sits up to make room for it on the countertop. Scarlet puts in straws for the two of them and starts sipping her.

"How did you know I wanted one?" Kai asks with a smirk as he sips his.

"My milkshakes bring all the boys to The Rampion," Scarlet mockingky sings to him.

Kai stares at Scarlet oddly, taking the milkshake out of his mouth. Scarlet grins wildly before they're both laughing wildly. Their laughs dim down at the sound of the restaurant's entrance bell ringing. Both of them look over and freeze at the sight of Kate Fallow. Kai quickly turns around to look at Scarlet who has already scurried back to the kitchen at top speed.

"Kai," Kate calls as she walks over to him. "Hey, how have you been lately? I heard about your father and my family and I are sorry."

"Oh, thank you," Kai replies, trying his best not to act awkward. "I'm doing fine, actually. It's good to see you again."

"You too." Kate glances around. "Did I see Scarlet Benoit in here?"

"Yeah. She just went to take in orders." Kai sips his milkshake to hide his lies. In reality, from what he saw, Scarlet didn't want to see her at all and is probably hiding in the produce fridge.

"How has she been?"

"Scarlet's great," Kai replies casually. "She's actually dating Wolf now."

Kate's eyes widen in surprise. "Seriously? Wolf Kesley? Who would've thought Scarlet Benoit would be the one to tame the Big Bad Wolf."

"I'm still baffled by it," Kai mutters.

"Anyways, I have to make use of my time in Commonwealth." Kate gives Kai a full smile. "Have you see Thorne around? I can't seem to reach him."

Kai shrugs. "I'm sure he's running around somewhere."

Kate gives Kai a bit of a hug before turning on her heel and walking out. At the sound of the bell, Scarlet comes out with a small bowl of water and starts spraying water around with her fingers as if she were mimicking the use of holy water to rid The Rampion of Kate Fallow vibes. Kai gives Scarlet a condescending look and she doesn't regret looking ridiculous.

"Why were you conspiring with the enemy?" Scarlet asks Kai when she puts down the bowl of not-holy water.

"She was giving her condolences," Kai replies.

Scarlet's face doesn't budge. "...well, still, she was talking about Wolf as if he was some sort of beast. Please, Wolf is a constant mix of a precious puppy with stupidity and a brooding bad boy who acts like he doesn't give a spade."

"In our defense, we only saw Wolf as the brooding bad boy and believed he didn't give a spade."

Scarlet narrows her brows a little and she takes the cherry from Kai's milkshake for herself. "If Cress' hair was still long, I would strangle you with it."

-o-

Wolf enters his house and throws his keys on the table. He approaches the kitchen and puts his hands on both ends of the entryway and mocks a fall inside, holding himself up with his strength. His mom, Maha Kesley, stands in front of a frying pan with a meal cooking in it. She puts a lid on the pan and wipes her hands on her dishrag before turning towards her son.

"Good thing you're home," Maha tells him. She opens the cupboard above the stove and pulls out a jar. "Open this."

Wolf opens the jar before his mom has time to blink. She looks at him with amazement before pinching his cheek. Wolf hides his smirk with a grudge before nudging his mom off. Maha pinches his side as he hops onto an empty spot on the counter. Wolf takes a wooden spoon and samples whatever his mom was cooking before she smacks his hand.

"Can't you be a normal teenage boy and go drive your car while kissing your girlfriend?" Maha asks, mockingly annoyed with him.

"My car is low on gas and my girlfriend is working," Wolf replies.

"Go get a job."

"I was going to tell you that I got a new job. I work at a gym."

To Wolf's surprise, his mother shrieks out of joy so loud that he didn't think her larynx could handle. Wolf's head hits the cupboards and he curses loudly to himself as he rubs the spot that he heard the stored plates clanking against. His mom grabs his face and kisses his cheeks only to be nudged off. Then, she's applauding for him. Wolf didn't think that his announcement was _that_ big a deal. He just got a new job, not a winning lottery ticket.

"Finally," Maha praises, "you won't end up in jail." She goes back to stirring around the contents of the frying pan. "Why are you always coming home alone? Bring your girlfriend in for a while sometime so I can meet the girl who got you out of that gang-bang life. I don't bite."

"Aces, Ma! You're so weird."

Maha laughs as Wolf hops off the counter. He opens the fridge and takes out a cold water bottle.

"And for some reason, you're the one who keeps on coming back alone!" She replies. "I think that classifies you as the weird one."

Wolf rolls his eyes as hits his behind with a dish towel.

-o-

Meanwhile, at Cress' place, she and Thorne sit next to each other on the floor of the living room. Their backs are pressed against the couch and eyes glued to the television screen as their hands work magic on the gaming consoles in their hands. Both of them still wear their school uniforms having come straight here right after the bell rang and they have been sitting there for hours, unaware of how much time has passed. The screen explodes and both of them scream as they attack the game with their total knockouts. They're too occupied with the game to notice Cress' dad walk in the room.

"You two are awfully noisy," he tells them.

"Sorry..." Cress mutters without even looking at him.

She lowers the volume and Cress' dad leave them to be. Thorne looks over his shoulder for a quick second to confirm that he's gone before wrapping his arm around Cress' small waist to continue playing his controller. Cress laughs as she feels her cheeks heat up the longer Thorne is basically lying across her legs.

"You two are awfully quiet."

Thorne jumps a little and Cress' face turns red for a completely different reason as she pauses the game. Sage laughs to himself before leaving the room again.

"I think he hates me," Thorne says as he resumes the game.

Cress looks at him as he focuses back on the video game. She never thought she would meet someone who takes her breath away but at the same time, makes her chest feel like it's going to burst. When most guys are really into a girl, they don't care who knows. They're not ashamed of it.

On a normal day, this moment would make her happy but she doesn't feel a hundred percent there. It's the fact that she saw Kate Fallow back in town. She wasn't hallucinating, she was really there. She didn't know how to feel about Thorne's ex-sweetheart back in town, especially since Thorne hasn't mentioned it at all. He acted as if she wasn't here at all and if other classmates asked, he would court them away from her. Cress didn't want to talk about it but she wanted at least some mention of it to see if she was on the same page as him.

"Everything alright, Cress?" Thorne asks her.

Cress looks up and sees that her avatar, LittleCress, just lost to CaptainThorne and a bunch of CPUs. She didn't want to admit that she wasn't okay. She has been in love with Thorne for as long as she could remember and she's had much more experience with him being her fantasy boyfriend before he became her occasional adventurer and video game opponent. She has all these feelings that she can't control and now, she was scared that whatever they had would be ruined because Kate Fallow was back in town.

"I'm great," Cress says playing the replay button.

She gets back in the game because she has to acknowledge the fact that Thorne is beside her right now instead of shoving his tongue down Kate's throat. That one kiss Cress had with Thorne that night in the forest sent shivers down her spine like never before.

Thorne pauses the game when he gets a text. He pulls his phone out from his back pocket and sees who it's from. Cress turns her head over and sees the stunned expression on his face before shoving his phone back in his pocket. A part of Thorne looks angry but also confused.

"Everything okay?" Cress asks him.

"I have to surrender..." Thorne says, referring to the game. "I gotta go."

Throne doesn't meet her eyes before running out the door. Cress takes a second to comprehend what just happened and thinks that maybe her mind just jinxed it.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Who was Thorne's text message from?**


	63. A Thorne in His Side: Part Three

**For those of you who want to know my updating schedule as of right now, I am going to update possibly every other day, maybe daily it depends on my schedule. I can tell you all that I literally have up to chapter 80 ready to go.**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Three

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Thorne shuffles home, grunting in frustration that he had to leave Cress' place. When he got the text message, he first thought it was Kate trying to contact him but he felt, surprisingly, relieved that it was from his parents. To think that there would come a day where he felt relaxed that his _parents_ were one: at home and two: wanting him home with them. It struck him as strange but maybe one of them is dying. Why else would they try to communicate with him?

Thorne enters the front door and drops his backpack on the bench in the mudroom. He smells dinner freshly cooked and follows the scent through the hallways. Most of Thorne's house is too fancy to live in. Statues, oil paintings, chandeliers. A museum more than a home. Maybe that was why nobody was ever here.

He enters the dining room and sees his parents there. His father, Kingsley, sitting at the head of the table and his mother, Amelia, sitting next to him. Both of them have their plates with food on it and glasses of red wine. Their meals are untouched telling Thorne that they were waiting for him. He adds that to his list of why his parents are so weird today.

"Would you like a plate, Captain Thorne?" Jeanette asks.

"Jeanette," his father scolds.

"My apologies, Sir."

Jeanette looks at Thorne again and he nods. She takes a plate for him as Thorne takes a seat at the other end of the table. As Jeanette fills his plate with the main course and its side dishes, it hits him now that Jeanette got reprimanded for calling him Captain Thorne. His father never liked it when she did that but it was never something to get fired over. Thorne likes to think he's jealous that he's a Captain in her eyes and he's only a "Sir". Thorne mutters a thanks when Jeanette sets the plate down for him and she hears back into the kitchen.

Thorne takes his fork and starts to eat when he hears his mother clearing her throat. Thorne narrows his eyes as he looks up her from his steaming potatoes.

"Wash your hands first," Amelia orders.

Thorne would argue that he wasn't even going to use his hands to eat but he doesn't waste his time with a battle he won't win, especially since she has her husband as a backup. It's not cowardly, it's strategic. Thorne scoots his chair back from the table obnoxiously loud and trudges over to the kitchen. He sees Jeanette putting away pots and pans as he turns up the faucet to its highest current to wash his hands under, hoping to block out the sound of his parents' voices. When he dunks his hands under the running water, it splashes everywhere from the countertops, the window, and his uniform.

"Aces, Carswell!" Kingsley exclaims.

Thorne snorts a small laugh at the mention of his stupid first name as he turns off the water. He wipes his hands on his uniform polo since it was already wet as he walks back to his seat and looks his father squarely in the eyes.

"Why can't you act like a responsible kid for once?" Kingsley asks him.

"Where's the fun in that?" Thorne questions light-heartedly.

"Where were you after school?"

"The Rampion," he lies.

His father puts down his wine glass in disappointment and his mother her cutlery in disgust. Thorne just stirs around his cut white asparagus as he drowns out the lectures of how unhealthy and improper a diner like The Rampion is. Thorne rolls his eyes since nobody goes to The Rampion for healthy food nor do they go there in a tuxedo. People go there to indulge and have a good time. That, plus his parents' distaste towards it is why Thorne considers it one of his favorite places in all of Commonwealth.

Thorne clears his throat as he raises his hand as if he were in a classroom. His parents look at him with faces filled with annoyance and confusion.

"What," his dad asks.

Thorne stands up. "Can I leave?"

"Sit down."

Thorne obeys and starts cutting into his meat. When his parents start talking about Kate Fallow being back in town, his cutting speed increases until he feels himself slicing into the plate.

"Carswell!" Amelia exclaims.

"Whoops..." Thorne mutters with no regrets. It's not like he ruined the fancy china that never leaves its cabinet.

"Have you seen Kate yet?"

To get out of answering or even talking about her, Thorne shoves so mouth food into his mouth at once since his mother would never want him talking with his mouth full. And he puts _a_ lot in there. His plate was practically empty at this point.

Amelia sighs irritated, sipping her wine with one hand and putting a hand to her temple with the other. Kingsley throws his napkin on the table as he crosses his arms and throws his head back. (Thorne finds his parents to be way too melodramatic). Thorne just coughs on his food and keeps it in his mouth. If he doesn't chew, that means he won't have to swallow and have an empty mouth that's perfect for conversation. He smiles at them and they're livid. Thorne doesn't know what he ever did to piss people off. Maybe he's just that good looking, he'd like to believe. And he got his good looks from the people he just pissed off so point for him.

-o-

Winter lies on her bed. She holds her phone above her and dials Jacin's number, placing her phone on her ear as it rings. She hasn't called Jacin since he went back home to Luna until now. Winter figured that he needed time to unpack, settle down, and reconnect with his parents and friends there. She truly misses Jacin, but he had to return.

 _Jacin Bae: Hey, Trouble._

Minus that odd call on a burner phone that happened when Jacin was missing, this is the first time Winter's hearing Jacin's voice over the phone ever since she moved here and it makes her heart flutter like a butterfly leaving its cocoon for the first time.

"You arrived okay?" Winter asks. "How is everyone?"

 _Jacin Bae: I slept the entire flight and everyone is happy. My parents suffocated me, Iko jumped me, and Kinney wants to kill me._

"So, they're fine." Winter laughs a bit. She takes a breath. "Calling is nice. We should've done this over writing letters."

 _Jacin Bae: I prefer postage over awkward silences._

"Or stamps over emojis."

 _Jacin Bae: See, you get me. We should just compromise and write emails instead._

Winter rolls her eyes and she hears Jacin laughing to himself since he knows what she just did. At that point, they might as well send each other morse code or telegrams (and Jacin would actually do that and he would learn how to make emojis in morse code just to mock and maybe impress Winter).

Winter's phone starts beeping and sees an incoming call from Cress. She puts it back on her ear for a second to tell Jacin.

"I'm going to have to put you on hold," Winter says to him. "Girl calling."

 _Jacin Bae: Chicks before dicks, I get it._

Winter sends him a kiss over the phone before switching the call over.

"Hey, girl," Winter says to Cress.

 _Cress: Winter, I have a feeling that I have asked you this before but how do you manage long-distance relationships? Like, how do you know Jacin isn't going to cheat on you?_

Winter sighs. She knows that Cress is having problems with Thorne even though he's right there.

"If Jacin were to cheat on me," Winter starts, "he knows that it would hurt me which would hurt him in return."

 _Cress: Why isn't Jacin online?_

Winter scoffs. These days, it seems that every young person had social media, their lives on display for anyone who cared to put the pieces together. And then there was Jacin who was online as little as possible.

"Because he thinks the internet is the lowest common denominator of social discourse."

Winter hears Cress pause before snickering to herself. Even as a person online, she has to agree with that.

 _Cress: Well, you may be the only person who gets more than 140 characters out of him._

"Barely." Winter then realizes that she has Jacin on hold. "Wait, I have him on the other line. Let me make this a three-way call."

Before Cress could respond, Winter is already tapping away on her screen. Once the three of them are on the same call, Winter puts the phone back to her ear in glee. She hasn't even bothered to tell Jacin that Cress is now here.

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder!" Winter exclaims.

 _Jacin Bae: That's not how it goes._

 _Cress: Yeah..._

Winter shrugs. "Either way."

 _Jacin Bae: Wait, who's here?_

 _Cress: It's Cress._

"You know..." Winter says to him. "The little Lunar with the short hair and Moon in her name."

 _Cress: Pretty much._

 _Jacin Bae: Oh, yeah...I remember her. She was the one Thorne was talking about._

Winter bites on her lip, hearing Cress choke on her breath a bit at what Jacin said. She knew that making this three-way call was a great idea and Jacin is already doing a good job without any prior indication that this was happening. He really was the best boyfriend.

"We are making Cress feel better," Winter tells Jacin. "Thorne's ex who apparently got a glow-up from the sun is back in town and now Thorne is acting all sketchy."

 _Jacin Bae: ...this isn't a relationship helpline._

Winter rolls her eyes. "Shut your stars."

Jacin laughs a little.

 _Jacin Bae: Alright, Cress, lay it on me._

Cress takes a deep breath before sighing.

 _Cress: Thorne makes me nervous but also happy. Really happy. But it's the kind of happy that also makes me nervous. And I have that feeling now more than ever because of Kate Fallow._

"You may be tiny but there is so much power in your small frame," Winter says. "Love is its own magic and it's so strong. You're already Thorne's perfect girl. You just have to get his heart wrapped around your finger."

Cress pauses and starts to cry. Winter did not plan for that to happen, especially after what she said which she would call inspirational. Jacin is silent and she hopes that he didn't hang up at the sound of tears.

 _Cress: I don't want Thorne to be a stranger to me again._

She can't hold it in any longer. Cress starts crying. If only Winter was with her because then she could hold her as she lets it all out. And then Jacin would get tissues and chocolates for her before running away.

"His ex-sweetheart is back in town so of course, he's acting all bizarre," Winter says, sitting up in her bed. "Aces, I would lose my stars too if I was in your place. Thorne likes you a lot. Anyone who tells you different is a - "

 _Jacin Bae: - spade sucker._

"Jacin!"

Cress laughs a little. Leave it up to Jacin to say less than 140 characters and still make a situation better.

 _Jacin Bae: What? I artfully use my foul language and this is Thorne we're talking about._

-o-

 _Andromeda Academy, Luna_

Jacin sits on a bench in the common grounds of Andromeda Academy during his break hour at school. Ever since he got back from Commonwealth, his classmates have been asking him endless questions. Even classmates he's never seen before were asking about the rumors behind his disappearance. To think that he was once the quiet kid who was also dating the girl who lost her stars and the son of the dean, and now he's the runaway and successful escapee of Andromeda Academy. In response to those claims, and in pure Jacin Clay fashion, he told them all to mind their own spades.

"You could tell us what happened in Commonwealth," Iko says. She sits in the middle of Jacin and Kinney, leaning on Jacin's arm and putting her legs on top of Kinney's.

"Of course I'll tell you," Jacin replies. He knows that good friends keep your secrets for you and they were his best friends which help you keep your own secrets. They won't tell anyone.

"I had to hang around Levana for the most part since Winter and Cinder had school," Jacin says.

"Dude, at that point, I would've gone home," Kinney says.

"Also, Winter almost hit me with her car and then I had to attend a funeral."

"Your own?" Kinney asks.

"Yes, my own!" Jacin replies sarcastically as Kinney laughs.

"Mayor of Commonwealth, right?" Iko questions. "Cinder's boyfriend's dad?"

Jacin nods and then he perks up a little remembering something important. "Guys, apparently Kai's mother was friends with Cinder's mother way back in the day and they made a little marriage arrangement between Selene Blackburn and Kai."

"No way!" Kinney and Iko exclaim at once. "Shut your spades!"

"Did Cinder confess?" Iko asks.

Jacin nods.

"Are they still together?" Kinney asks.

Jacin nods again.

Iko shrieks and explodes like an array of fireworks. Jacin and Kinney have to hush her down since she's drawing in more looks than usual from other cadets. Iko eventually sims down even though she's still vibrating.

"I'm calling my homegirl myself," Iko says as she dials Cinder's number. As it rings, she puts the phone on speaker and rests it on her chest.

 _Homegirl Cinder: What._

"Why didn't you tell me you and Kai were destined to be?!" Iko exclaims.

 _Homegirl Cinder: ...it wasn't that big a deal._

 _"Not that big a deal?!"_ Iko questions. "This is a huge deal! It's fate! I'm going to start planning your wedding. Kinney will be the flower girl."

Kinney doesn't even object. "I'll only be the flower girl then."

 _Homegirl Cinder: Calm down. It's not that big a fairytale._

"Of course it's not a fairytale," Jacin says with his voice a little angelic just to smite her. "It's better. It's your life!"

 _Homegirl Cinder: You, shut up._

"Was it hard to tell the truth?" Kinney asks her. The sudden change in mood is only because they all know how intense of a secret Selene Blackburn was.

 _Homegirl Cinder: Finally, a reasonable question. Yeah, it was hard but it was time. I kinda had no choice anyways. I have a feeling that if this never happened, or would've been with me forever._

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What happens when Thorne is in public and sees Kate?**


	64. A Thorne in His Side: Part Four

**For those of you wondering how someone could just flip into a new person after a relationship, I have seen it first hand since that was one of my friends. She isn't my friend anymore and I'm glad for that since I genuinely hate the person she became.**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Four

Days like this is when Thorne thinks he's actually asleep somewhere else and this is his nightmare. He's currently with his parents which makes the moment more fantasy for him. First, his parents wanted him at home and now they want to go in public with him. Maybe this is a sign that his parents got abducted. The only hint Thorne gets that tells him that this is reality is that his parents brought him to a liquor store. This was their bonding time so his parents could say that they spend time with him, and then drink away to forget it ever happened.

Thorne yawns as his parents debate over types of bourbon. Maybe he could open a bottle they were planning to purchase so he could pass out and not mentally be present.

He turns his head and instantly, he believes that he's in the nightmare again. He sees Kate Fallow with her parents here as well. Thorne immediately skips on his heel and runs into the beer cooler to avoid her. He ducks behind a display and shivers to himself.

His heart races. The shock of seeing her here in person for the first time since he heard of her arrival takes his breath away.

"Kid, are you old enough to purchase alcohol?"

Thorne looks over his shoulder and sees an employee giving him the stink-eye for not only hiding behind a display but also being underaged (which he obviously knew the answer to when he asked. He addressed him as "kid" for the sake of the stars).

"No," Thorne replies, irritated.

"Then, why are you here?"

"My parents dragged me along and now I'm hiding from my ex."

The employee nods, not really caring about Thorne's story. "You're still underaged so you can't handle the merchandise."

"I'm not even buying it."

"Still, you're a kid."

Thorne rolls his eyes as he stands back up and exits the beer cooler. He hides behind a shelf of champagne bottles, peering over to see if she spotted him yet. And now, he finds himself staring at her because he can't help but wonder where geeky Kate went. He thinks that she got swallowed by this new sleek Kate. This irritating thorne in his side is now stabbing him and he can't help but leave it in there instead of yanking it out. He has so many unanswered questions that he doesn't want to ask. He isn't sure what would happen if he were to talk to her but at the same time, it might be kind of cool to see what happens.

Seeing Kate again and in person after all this time is a shock. Ever since he called off their relationship, Thorne spent his time mending what was left of his broken heart, telling himself that it wasn't his fault or that he didn't kind of miss her. He wishes people would stop looking at him like he was the villain in the breakup. He may have initiated the end but she was the catalyst. He felt this indescribable pain in his chest whenever she would cross his mind. Thorne recently reached that point where he was able to breathe, smile, and be happy without the lingering thought of her betrayal in the back of his mind. He can never forget his first love because she showed him, proved to him, that he can love and be loved, that love is how you grow and why. If he could like Kate that much and for that long on his first try, then he could definitely like someone else far better and longer.

Now, all he sees in there is one smile. A smile he first saw when he basically broke into her house and played video games by her side. A smile that for the first time in his life made his heart stop before beating at a rapid pace.

Then, he shakes himself back to reality and sees Kate looking right at him. Thorne chokes on his breath as he back up and runs out of the store. Who knows, maybe she didn't see him.

-o-

Thorne stops running and stops in the center of the mall, beside a vending machine. He pulls out some coins from his pocket and buys himself a soda. Once the chilled can is in his hand, he takes a breath. He feels relaxed, for once. He opens his can and takes a sip. Mid-sip, his eyes widen when he sees Kate searching for him. He suddenly chokes on the carbonation and spits up on himself.

"Aces!" Thorne curses since he's now all wet.

Kate hasn't noticed and this is when Thorne makes a run for it. He wants to talk to her just to see what's up but his feet overpower his mind. He can't do it so he flees. When Thorne spots Wolf, he feels relieved.

"What do you want?" Wolf asks.

"I need help," Thorne replies.

"The info booth is down there." Wolf points at the other end of the mall.

Wolf smirks to himself before walking off. Thorne follows and stands in front of him, making Wolf stop.

"Please...I'm desperate," Thorne begs. "An evil darker than a shattered heart is plaguing me." He goes closer to whisper. "Kate Fallow is back in town. And she's right there!"

Wolf's eyes follow where Thorne subtly points and his eyes almost bulge out of his head when he sees her. Instantly, he grabs Thorne's arm and begins dragging him the other way.

"And if we move quickly, she won't see us," Wolf says.

Thorne smiles at his hospitality. "Awe, I thought you hated me."

"It's more of a dislike right now."

"You like me."

"I pity you for having a crazy ex. I'd lose my spades if I dated her."

Thorne rolls his eyes. Of course, Wolf will never do a nice thing for him. Pity, yes. Kindness, never.

"Don't you have an ex somewhere?"

Thorne could only picture Wolf's ex being a rugged biker chick covering her tattoos with her leather jacket, fishnet leggings, and boots. Maybe an ex-biker-babe, if that's what he called it. That was just a basic stereotype and not like Scarlet at all.

"Somewhere I don't care," Wolf responds.

Thorne smiles. That answer loosely translated to _'it's none of your business'_ , but directly meant, _'I never had an ex because Scarlet is my first and only'_. Thorne gives Wolf that hopeless romantic look that almost gets him chucked into the trash can. (At least Kate won't find him in there).

"Why is Kate even here?" Wolf asks.

Thorne shrugs. "Beats me. I haven't spoken to her except a few texts. Someone told me her parents are here to pay their respects to Mayor Rikan."

"Aces, a saint dies and the demon's already taking over..." Wolf runs a hand through his hair. "She's definitely not only here for the condolences. She wants you back."

Thorne buffs in frustration. "Why must I be so irresistible?"

Wolf rolls his eyes before gagging. Thorne looks at him completely offended because he knows how handsome he is.

"Well, your lack of fashion sense depresses me," Thorne says, looking at Wolf's leather jacket, plaid shirt, and ripped jeans. "I'll have to carry the team on my own and buy a new outfit. That, and I need a disguise from Kate and my clothes are covered in pop."

Thorne goes into the nearest clothing store as Wolf goes on his phone. Kate walks by and sees Wolf. He looks up at her and gives her a small, casual wave as she takes a seat on a nearby bench and goes through her phone. One breeze through social media later and Wolf sees Thorne walks back out with his most obvious disguise. It was a trench coat with a fedora, sunglasses, and scarf wrapped around his face. Thorne flaunts it as if he was on a runway and Wolf is mentally disturbed (but just had to put it on his story. Lucky for him, Thorne was feeling himself in that outfit so he went with it).

"I need a smoke..." Wolf says, grabbing Thorne who screamed a little when he saw Kate smirking at possibly her phone, possibly him, possibly him on her phone since Wolf posted it.

"Oh, now you want to help after I put on a nice outfit?" Thorne questions melodramatically. "Too bad I don't give a spade anymore."

"She still knows it was you," Wolf responds.

"How? This is a very convincing costume."

Wolf isn't going to argue against that atrocity. "She saw you buy it and put it on! And I posted it but because you look like a moron."

Thorne sighs. "Some people can't help being noticed."

Wolf groans. "I seriously need a smoke now."

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Scarlet and Cinder try to help their friends in need.**


	65. A Thorne in His Side: Part Five

**I apologize for not updating recently but real life got in the way.**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Five

The bell echoes through the hallways of Lunar Academy and Scarlet marches through the growing crowd of students who all have the same idea of wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible. She searches the halls for Cress and spots the smallest girl, pulling her from the crowd by her backpack. Cress yelps a little until she sees that it's Scarlet.

"Wanna go spy on Kate Fallow?" Scarlet suggests.

Cress scoffs a little. "Right, we'll just dress up in all black and stalk her."

"Let's do it."

Cress pauses. "Wait, I was kidding."

"I wasn't. First, I gotta get something from Wolf for this. I'll convince him to give it to me and by convince, I mean force."

Cress isn't sure whether to object to this or not but since Scarlet seems persistent, she goes with it. She takes the change of clothes that Scarlet provides and the two get changed in the bathroom. Cress comes out of the stall in Scarlet's plaid shirt and grey leggings which are big in certain areas like the chest, hips, and butt. (She folded up the legs since Scarlet was also taller). Scarlet comes out wearing her signature red sweatshirt and ripped jeans. They then exit the bathroom and Cress scurries to follow Scarlet.

Scarlet knows she won't have to do a lot of work to convince Wolf to do anything. She knows that the best relationships shouldn't ever involve a lot of work. It should come naturally. She spots Wolf at his locker and when he sees her with Cress trailing behind, he smirks until he reads the expression on her face which clearly says that she has a plan.

"We need you," Scarlet tells him.

"You need my car," Wolf replies instantly.

Scarlet lights up as he tosses her the keys. She catches them and thanks him as he gives her a quick kiss. Cress can only think about how much of a hashtag-relationship-goal that was.

The two girls then run out to the parking lot. Scarlet spots Wolf's car and unlocks it. Scarlet and Cress throw their stuff in the backseats before going to the front. Once their seatbelts are buckled, Scarlet starts the engine and pulls out of the parking lot.

"Have you spoken to Thorne at all about Kate?" Scarlet asks.

"No." Cress looks down and plays with her fingers. "But her appearance got me thinking that I can't blame Thorne for falling in love with her. She's a flawless model."

To Cress' surprise, Scarlet snorts a laugh and in a failed attempt to cover it up, she bursts out laughing.

"Cress," Scarlet says, "Kate wasn't always lip gloss and short skirts.

"What?" Cress asks.

"Kate was one of those girls who you thought would marry her textbook. I swear, that girl was a human calculator. Kate was being tormented by other classmates and Thorne saved her, also asking her for 'help' with his math homework because he was literally failing the course. They had study dates that turned into actual dates. Thorne actually fell for Kate Fallow and they became the school's sweethearts. And then came the whole popularity status and Kate's glow-up that you saw and you know what happens afterwards with Thorne's return to Commonwealth and his broken heart."

Cress' throat suddenly feels dry. "...wow."

"You okay?"

"I'm okay."

"Good. And if you're not, you will be. You're strong like that. Just because you'll always love Thorne doesn't mean you'll _like_ him all the time. And from what I've heard, Thorne hasn't seen her ever since she got here and is avoiding her at all costs."

Scarlet smirks. If there's anything she knew about relationships, she knows that it's never possible to know her type - not to even know if she _has_ a type - until suddenly she does. Scarlet doesn't think she has a type because all she ever had is Wolf. Unlike Thorne, to her belief, who has a type. To Scarlet's knowledge, Thorne likes smart girls who like him first.

-o-

Later that day, Kai went straight home after school. He only went there to drop off his school bag and change out of his uniform. Then, he was right back out the door. With the house empty of people, it almost felt as if his dad was just at work. _Almost_. But he's not and that makes Kai feel lonely. Too much had changed. His house didn't feel like his at all.

Now, he finds himself knocking on Cinder's door since she invited him over. As he waits for an answer, he thinks back to the last time he was here and his heart stops. When Cinder opens the door, he's brought back to the moment when she confessed to being Selene Blackburn. Sometimes, that thought kept him up at night more than his father.

"Kai?" Selene - no, Cinder questions.

Kai realizes he's been silent this whole time. He looks right into Selene - Cinder's eyes as she waits for him to say or do something. In response, Kai holds her by the waist and pulls her in for a kiss. Cinder is taken by surprise before holding his shoulders.

Cinder breaks from him with a smirk on her face. "You know, traditionally the kiss is supposed to come at the end of the night."

"You complaining?" Kai asks.

"Not at all."

Kai gives her another peck. "Hey, baby."

Cinder raises an eyebrow. "Is that what we're calling each other now?"

"That's what couples do."

Cinder nods. She could go with it.

"Speaking of what couples do..." Kai mutters.

He bends down and picks up a bouquet of flowers of daffodils that he temporarily put down. Cinder looks at him and the bouquet wrapped in newspaper hesitantly. She was not the kind of lady who would be getting flowers and Kai knew that. Stars, everyone knew that. Maybe Winter would like them.

"Please take these," Kai begs. "My house has so many flowers in it that it has florists shaking."

Of course there was an alternative motive behind the flowers. Cinder laughs a little before accepting the flowers. She takes him inside and into the kitchen so that she could find a vase to put them in. Kai takes a seat at the kitchen's island as Cinder pulls a vase from the cabinet and fills it with water.

"King of romance," Cinder calls him as she puts the daffodils in the vase.

"No," Kai responds with a small cringe.

"Mayor?"

"Too soon."

"Emperor Kai Rikan of the Commonwealth."

Kai is speechless at that one while Cinder is most proud of it. She waits for him to adjust to it but his face doesn't budge.

"It has a ring to it," Cinder says.

Kai nods and then his mood goes downwards. Cinder shuffles awkwardly as she stands next to him, leaning on him to show her support for him. She takes his hands in hers and intertwines their fingers.

"Hey, you know what makes me less sad?" Cinder asks.

"What?"

"Seeing you happy."

She straightens up and they look at each other. He doesn't seem amused to be happy right now which bothers Cinder a little only because she doesn't like seeing anyone upset.

"Come on, we're going back to your place and we're going to be as happy as the stars in there," Cinder proposes.

"Cinder..." Kai mutters unwillingly.

"Don't make me suffocate you with those flowers, Emperor Kai Rikan of the Commonwealth," Cinder says, pointing at the daffodils. "Don't beat yourself up over this or I will. Grieve your dad all you want. Miss him and allow yourself to miss him. Go insane, for the stars above, but don't stop living because he died."

-o-

Scarlet returns home and throws her keys on the drop table. She and Cress never found Kate but it was fun for them to just drive around. When she gets on the couch, she pulls her phone out from her pocket. First, she texts Wolf to tell him that his car is fine. Then, she sees an email from Emilie in her inbox and Scarlet freezes.

Émilie Monfort was a friend she once had in France. They haven't spoken much - or at all ever since she ran away to Commonwealth. It was almost as if they drifted apart because she ran away when she was seven-years-old. That's what makes this email so scary for Scarlet - just its existence. Its subject line was "urgence" which scares Scarlet even more since that translates to English as "emergency". What could possibly be an emergency from Émilie?

Scarlet hesitated before opening the email. There is no message, just a link. She clicks on it with her finger and reads the article it leads too.

The more words she reads, the wider Scarlet's smile becomes and eventually, she's cackling. It was a crime article about her father getting - her smile suddenly fades and she finds herself off the couch. Scarlet suddenly can't breathe and she's shaking.

She gets up and heads to the kitchen where she opens the fridge and pulls out a beer that she shouldn't be drinking. Scarlet pops off the cap and chugs the entire bottle down in one go. Her nerves settle down until she looks at the bottle and sees what she just did. Like father, like daughter, right?

Then, she smirks again as she grips the chilly glass bottle in her hand. Her drunk father once told her before she left that kids who run away from home always get locked up and now, the irony is too much for her to handle with a neutral face.

* * *

 **Did I just foreshadow the next arc? Yes, I did.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- After all this time, Thorne finally converses with Kate Fallow.**


	66. A Thorne in His Side: Part Six

***casually sitting in public trying not to laugh and look crazy to a bunch of strangers***

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Six

Thorne pulls up into his driveway and already knows that what's at his house is bad news. He knew that it was going to happen eventually and to think it had to be the one time he decided to come home after school. Thorne doesn't take the time to compose himself when he turns off the engine of his car. He just rips the bandage right off and gets out of his car. When he closes his door, he watches as Kate Fallow stands up from the seat on his front porch. Thorne approaches her and can't think of anything to say. What could he possibly say to Kate Fallow after all this time?

"Your parents said you'd show up here soon," Kate starts.

Thorne nods. "Of course they did."

Kate smiles a little. "Hi, Thorne."

"Hi." Thorne feels himself tensing up because of all the awkwardness. "Kate, why are you here?"

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Our relationship."

Thorne scoffs even when Kate's face shows that she's serious. "Kate, we don't have a relationship anymore."

"Thorne, please."

Kate takes one of his hands into both of hers and holds it up to her chest - meaning to be at her heart. Thorne takes a sharp breath before seeing the openness in her eyes. Like himself, she has some words to say and seeing herself this close ignited him to want to scream them aloud.

The quiet between them had gone on for too long now to pretend it was anything other than it was. There are no words; all that was left were two faintly beating hearts. The moment ahead of him is like something living and breathing, something that's barreling towards him at an alarming rate, and it seems like only a matter of time before it will knock him flat on his back.

Thorne pulls his hand back to himself. "Fine. We'll talk. But don't think this will mean anything. I don't need you polluting my life. Give me like ten minutes to change out of my uniform."

Thorne goes into his house and closes the door behind him before falling against it. His entire body is shaking as he climbs up the stairs to go to his bedroom.

Kate Fallow is the closest thing he's had to a girlfriend. It used to be because she was geeky, sweet, and smart. When he first fell for her, she had the humility to her smartness. The Kate Fallow of today parts crowds and shows her midriff. He knows that something for her is there because it made him believe in it ridiculously to the point where he would run away. That's why he's going to Kate. She was his first everything to him (well, except his _first time_ ).

-o-

Kai and Cinder stop their walk over to his house when he hears his phone ringing. He pulls it out of his back pocket and sees that it's Thorne. Cinder takes his phone and mockingly chucks it onto the road with full force but Kai stops her, taking his phone back and laughing at her. Cinder nudges him with a smile on her face.

"At least put it on speaker," Cinder says.

"Always for you," Kai responds as he picks up the phone.

 _Thorne: If I paid you my inheritance, would you push me down the stairs?_

Kai takes a moment to process what he heard and if he heard it right. "What?"

"I'd do it for free," Cinder replies instantly. That sentence from Thorne alone was enough gold that when didn't need his inheritance.

 _Thorne: At least I can see who I should've called instead._

"Thorne," Kai says as he and Cinder continue walking, "what the stars are you talking about?"

 _Thorne: Sarah and I are just going to talk._

"Talk or _talk_?" Kai questions.

"Now, I have a bigger motive to push you down the stairs," Cinder says. "You're so screwed up for going to talk to her."

 _Thorne: Come on, Kai! Be my wingman here._

"As your wingman, I am flying away from this situation," Kai says. "Bye!"

And while Thorne yells for him to not hang up, Kai hangs up. Cinder looks at him impressed and a little surprised. Kai puts his phone away and pulls her closer to him as they take a turn down the street and approach his house.

-o-

Wolf stands at the receptionist desk of the gym he now works at and sees the phone ringing. He picks up the receiver and then glances at the caller ID. It doesn't say exactly who is calling but just the number and boy, does Wolf know whose number that is. The only question Wolf really has is how the caller got the number to his workplace because he would only call rover reach him.

"What?" Wolf grumbles on the phone.

 _Thorne: Hello to you too._

Wolf rolls his eyes. "What stupid thing did you do this time?"

 _Thorne: Kate wanted to talk and I said yes._

If only Wolf wasn't at work, then he would hit the wall in frustration. A part of him wished he was with Thorne so he could hit him instead.

"Kate obviously wants to make out with you," Wolf tells him.

 _Thorne: I know._

"Is that why you said yes?"

 _Thorne: No!_

"Good because if you hurt Cress, I will actually kill you."

 _Thorne: Aces, Wolf, what do you think of me? First Cinder would push me down some stairs and now you're going to murder me. Hurting Cress is the last thing I ever want to do. She's just so tiny and precious and needs a blanket of bubble wrap at all times. Do you guys have some sort of Lunar pact?_

"Obviously." Wolf looks up and sees Scarlet entering the gym. A small smile approaches his face. "Look, I gotta go."

 _Thorne: No! I need your help. If it's your boss coming, pretend I'm getting a membership._

"It's not my boss, it's Scarlet." Wolf mouths her a hello to her as she leans on the front desk.

 _Thorne: You're going to leave me for your girlfriend?!_

"She comes first."

 _Thorne: Wolf!_

"What's that? I can't hear you over my lack of caring!"

Wolf hangs up amidst Thorne's pleas and Scarlet smirks a little as she plays with a pen on the desk.

"Hey," Wolf says to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I like this new job," Scarlet responds before remembering what she heard from Wolf's conversation on the phone as she was coming. Even she knew who that was. "What did our dear Carswell Thorne do now?"

"Plan to meet up with his ex-sweetheart."

Scarlet rolls her eyes. "Idiot."

Wolf nods in agreement. He looks at Scarlet for a bit longer and notices how tense she seems, jittery almost. A part of her seems uncomfortable with something which worries Wolf since he last saw her at school when she convinced him to let her borrow his car. What throws him off more is that she isn't looking at him but beside him.

"You alright?" Wolf asks, pushing one of her curls back.

"When does your shift end?" Scarlet asks.

"And hour." He tries to study her to see what she wants but he isn't sure. "Why?"

"We live or were given the chance to live but sometimes living is hard and complicated because of fear."

"What are you talking about?"

"I want a tattoo."

Scarlet's words suck the air out of Wolf's lungs and he's speechless. He has a series of his own tattoos on his own body and the idea of his Scarlet getting one of her own enlightens him, and kind of turns him on in the way that makes him nervous - especially since Scarlet appears to be unsteady at the moment. He senses that she made this hasty decision the second she walked in.

"And you want me to come with you?" Wolf asks her.

"Sure," she replies. "You know a good place to get them anyways."

"I was going to come even if you said no."

"Then, I'll be waiting over there until you clock out."

Scarlet turns on her heel to go wait on a bench by the entrance. Wolf thinks to himself about how he has to try and get her out of this obviously hasty choice of hers.

"Scarlet, wait," Wolf says. She stops walking and he walks away from the counter to approach her. "I've gotten these done before and you're not going to like it."

"Meaning that you're tough enough to handle it and I'm not?"

Scarlet cocks a brow up, waiting for his response but Wolf bites his tongue. Scarlet pats his shoulder victoriously and heads over to the bench, waiting for his shift to end. Wolf just shuffles back to his desk, staring at the clock as the seconds go down.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What will happen when Thorne talks to Kate? What are Kai and Cinder going to do at his house? And what will Scarlet's tattoo and why is she getting one?**


	67. A Thorne in His Side: Part Seven

**I had no idea we were already this far into the arc.**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Seven

 _Captain Thorne: Cress_

 _Captain Thorne: Crescent_

 _Captain Thorne: Crescent Moon_

 _Captain Thorne: Crescent Moon Darnel_

 _Captain Thorne: I'm about to do something absolutely moronic._

 _Captain Thorne: I think I'm gonna need you to save me._

-o-

After Wolf's shift ended, he drove himself and Scarlet to his tattoo parlor. She was the first one out of the car and into the parlor. Wolf follows before the door could slam shut on his face and the artist at the cash register almost laughs in disbelief when he sees Wolf. After all, this was the parlor where his former gang would go to get their tattoos. It was where they all got their matching ink of the howling wolf that's on his lower back. He'd get it removed but it's so beautifully done.

"Wolf Kesley..." the artist mutters while shaking his head with a snarky. "Never thought I'd see your face here again."

"Neither did I," Wolf responds.

"So, what are you getting and where?"

"Actually, it's - "

Scarlet jumps into their conversation. "It's for me."

The artist's gaze suddenly falls on her. He pops his lips, already knowing who this redhead in front of him. "Is this your girl, Wolf? And is this a part of her bucket list?"

Scarlet cringes. "Yes, I'm his and not only do I go by Scarlet but do I look like the kind of girl who writes bucket lists? Those are pointless since you never finish them. You gotta go with the flow."

He nods his head in a bit of admiration. "I like her, Kesley. You two are a cute couple."

"She's the cute one," Wolf mutters. Scarlet looks back and beams at him, only to see his worried expression. "Are you sure you want this?"

"Awe, Wolfie..." The artist coos as he rests his head on his hands to mock him. "Are you becoming soft?"

Wolf points right at him. "You, shut up."

The artist laughs and Wolf rolls his eyes.

"Do tattoos hurt?" Scarlet asks the artist, ignoring Wolf.

"Depends on where you get them," he responds. "And if they need coloring. The face, neck, hands, ankles, and rib cage usually hurt the most. Forearm, shoulder, calves, and butt are the least painful. Where were you thinking?"

Ribcage."

Wolf clears his throat. "Wait a minute - "

The artist whistles a high note. "First timer and going for the rib cage? Mad respect, Red. What are you getting?"

"A small tomato cluster on the vine circling the bottom of my boob just above the rib cage," Scarlet responds, pointing out specifically where on her body.

The tattoo artist nods, making a note of that on a pad of paper. He also jots down Wolf's stunned and aroused expression as he stares right at the spot where Scarlet's future tattoo will be. The artist wasn't sure what turned Wolf on more, Scarlet pointing at one of her breasts or his mental image a tattoo there. Either way, the boy looked like he was going to eat her alive.

"Alright," the artist says, "I'm going to get ready so just take a seat over there and I'll get you when it's tattoo time."

Scarlet nods as she spins on her heel and takes a seat on some leather couches by the entrance. Wolf shakes himself out of the trance he was in and heads over to sit next to her. For some reason, he feels more nervous than she looks which alarms him.

"Scarlet," Wolf says, "can we talk about this - ?"

"It's for my Grandmère," Scarlet replies, knowing that he was going to ask that. "She's basically my only true parent and one of the most notable things she taught me was how that tomatoes grow sweeter when you sing to them."

"Wow, Scarlet..."

"It'll also reminds me of that time you got tangled in my tomato garden and I almost shot you."

Scarlet laughs to herself and even Wolf can't help but crack a smile at that fond memory that felt like it was forever ago. Sure, it was a bash on his pride and bad boy reputation, but it got him his girl at the end of the day.

"What do you sing to your tomatoes?" Wolf asks.

"Songs in French."

-o-

Kai remembers feeling that his father's death was both true and false in his mind. He'd imagine seeing his dad's car pulling into the driveway after a long day at the office. Or, Kai would be lying on his bed and his bedroom door would be open, and it'd be his dad calling him for dinner or to go run some errands.

His dad died suddenly, but also slowly. And now, his house was lonely. Kai never missed being alone. He was used to it but now it was different. Before, he knew someone would be walking through those front doors without messing up keys like he is right now. Now, there will be nothing.

"Give me these," Cinder says.

She takes Kai's keys from his hands and opens the door. Cinder steps in and Kai follows, closing the door behind her. Her eyes pop open at the overwhelming flower scent lingering in the house. It's not that she didn't like it, she just didn't think it would be this potent.

"Holy stars in the sky..." Cinder mutters.

"Yeah..." Kai responds, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you mind taking home everything that's on that coffee table over there?"

"Uhh..." Cinder hesitates. "How about we do this?"

Cinder grabs all the vases she can and puts them as close to the door as possible, whether that be placing them on the floor by the door or on the drop table and its adjacent bench. Kai assists her, sweeping up any fallen petals with his foot and then with a broom later. Once that's done, the mudroom might as well be the new floral hotspot but at least the dining table and living room were clear.

Cinder brushes her hands. "Better?"

Kai shrugs. "It's not worse."

Cinder takes a breath. She isn't sure if what she's saying to Kai is insensitive. What she says kind of just falls out of her mouth and she believes that it's better to be blunt, but only because that's how she wants people to be towards her. It may not always work the other way around. Like when Winter's dad died, almost everything Cinder did to try and help didn't assist Winter whatsoever.

"I think we need some sort of safe word just in case one of us says something triggering, mostly me," Cinder suggests.

Kai grins. "Cinder, safe words do not work like that."

Cinder rolls her eyes. "They do to me. So, what should it be?"

Kai shrugs. "You pick."

She doesn't even think about it. "Wire cutters."

"Odd, but memorable." He takes a step closer to her. "Cinder, I want to distract myself from being in my house and kiss you, so can I?"

Cinder purses her lips together. "You didn't need to ask but be warned - there's nothing artful about our kisses. Our mouths kind of just crash together.

Kai smiles a laugh and all of a sudden, he grabs her arm and pulls her into his embrace. He slides one hand down to the lower part of her back and his other hand holds the back of her neck. His fingers wrap into her hair until Cinder's ponytail unravels. Her lips are soft and warm which is everything he imagined them to be. A shiver runs down her spine and he groans. She wants him as much as he wants her.

-o-

It's funny how that works: as soon as he's told by his friends and by his gut not to do something, he has the overwhelming desire to do it. After being told not to see Kate, Thorne was suddenly in his car with her.

He starts the engine and Kate clears her throat as he backs out of his driveway and enters the road. Thorne has always been the socializing type. He could always keep a conversation going with someone until they'd get lost in it. But right now, at this very instant, he's lost in the moment and for that, he lets his soul take off.

"Kate - " Thorne starts.

"I still have feelings for you," she interjects.

Thorne is silent as he almost crashed the car. There were a million things she could've said to him. She could've said how she missed having his big, strong arms wrapped around her. She could've told him that and missed his goofy smile. She could've confessed how bad she felt for messing everything up. But _that_? Those words paralyzed him.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Where is Thorne taking Kate and will Cress get to him?**


	68. A Thorne in His Side: Part Eight

**I had a feeling that I owed you two chapters so here you go!**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Eight

Thorne ends up driving to a nearby skate park. Once he parks his car, he and Kate step out and sit on a bench where there's an excellent view of the skateboarders doing their tricks and a perfect escape route for Thorne in case he needs to get out of here. That, and the last place he would want to have this conversation was his house where he would be trapped by his own walls and forced to play the role of 'welcoming host'.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with me and now look," Kate starts.

"I still kind of don't so don't piss me off or I'm walking," Thorne makes clear. "You said that you still had feelings for me. Is that true or is that just something you said to get here?"

Kate sighs before looking down at her shoes. "I don't know."

"If you liked me so much, why'd you cheat on me?"

"I regret that. I truly do and if this is a part of my redemption back into the human race, then I'm sorry. How can you expect people to change if you don't give them the chance, Thorne? Change is good. Change is learning. You know that better than anyone else because you left. You went to military school in a different country!"

Thorne stands up from the bench they were sitting on, exasperated. "I had no choice! And if I'm going to be honest, Kate, you were the one who left. The girl I came to for math help certainly wasn't the same girl I came back to because she was kissing some other guy."

"Thorne, listen - "

"Kate, please - "

Kate stands up so that her eyes are at the same level. The wind picks up and the ends of Kate's hair fly forwards, tickling Thorne's face. His breath hitches and he has trouble exhaling the longer he stares at her.

-o-

Cinder opens Kai's door and on the other side, she sees a pizza delivery boy in his neon shirt, matching hat, and khaki shorts. Instantly, she is blinded by the brightness but also delighted by the box of pizza in his hands that he ordered. That pepperoni delight makes up for the highlighter atrocity called a uniform. She's grateful that her job doesn't have a tacky uniform like that.

"That'll be 18 univs," the delivery boy tells her.

"I left my wallet at home," Cinder tells him.

"This is your home."

"Actually, it's my boyfriend's and he doesn't really know that I ordered this so..."

Cinder takes the pizza and puts it down inside the house. Before the delivery boy could tell her off, Cinder hands him one of the flower bouquets that Kai has all over his house. In exchange, he skeptically takes the bouquet and gives her a strange face.

"Consider them to be a gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend," Cinder says.

"Aces..." He mutters with a smile on his face. "I'm going to need this."

"You're welcome."

Cinder smiles as she closes the door. She turns around and walks back into Kai's living room, opening the box of pizza with one hand and getting a slice to eat with the other. She takes a seat on the couch, tosses the box on the coffee table and continues eating as she leaves her feet up. Cinder looks over her shoulder and sees Kai approaching with a confused face, wondering where the pizza came from. Instead of asking, Kai just climbs over her legs and takes a seat next to her on the couch, helping himself to some pizza. Cinder lies down on his chest until she realizes that it wasn't as soft as she expected.

"Sometimes, I forget you have abs under those clothes of yours," Cinder says, poking the firmness under there.

"You always make me run after you," Kai reasons. "I'm now in the best shape of my life."

Cinder scoffs. "Always? You ran after me twice and that was because of freaking Jacin."

"That's two times more than I usually run."

Cinder stretches forwards to get another slice of pizza. "Why don't you just move out here if you could?"

"This place is too full of memories to leave," Kai responds. "Dad left this house to me in his fancy final will and testament."

Cinder sighs as she throws the piece back in the box, kind of feeling like trash for asking. Leave it up to her for asking the blunt questions. She can't blame herself though. It's a big house for one person, especially a teenage boy.

"I don't need you to agree, just try to understand how I feel," Kai says.

His eyes pierce into hers as if they are searching for some kind of reassurance. Then, they slowly make their way towards her lips and he slowly kisses her.

"Emperor Kai Rikan of the Commonwealth," Cinder whispers to him.

"Selene Blackburn," he responds.

"Wire cutters!" Cinder exclaims, breaking from him. "You can't just go out saying my birth name."

"Our safe word was only for triggering things."

"Selene is triggering, _extremely_ triggering."

Kai smirks as he traces the outline of her face with his hand and Cinder tries to hide a grin. "Aces, Cinder...you're like a bull in an emotion china shop and _I'm_ the triggering one?"

Cinder slowly summers into a laugh and rests on his chest, still laughing. Kai joins in, holding her close.

-o-

Winter sits on the chair of her bedroom's vanity with her feet propped up on the edges of the vanity, inhaling the soothing lavender scent coming from her essential oil diffuser. She leans forwards and when her cell phone starts ringing, she jumps a little and almost teeters back in her chair. Winter straightens up and picks up her phone to see who it is. When she sees that it's Jacin, she answers in seconds, longing to hear his voice.

When you truly love someone, that feeling is just indescribable. She just wants to be with him. She misses him when he's not there and she can't wait to see him again. Right now, she's just thousands of miles away from the one she loves and the one who loves her back.

"Hey, Jacin," Winter says as she gets back into the position she was in before.

 _Jacin Bae: You're not busy right now, are you?_

"Just painting my nails. Dr. Darnel says that it's healthy for my mind if I take some time to herself and relax. And nothing screams therapeutic more than a good pedicure."

 _Jacin Bae: Hold on...Dr. Darnel?_

"Cress' dad."

 _Jacin Bae: Aces, it's a small world. So, what color are you painting your nails?_

"Who's the Boss."

Winter snickers to herself as she hears Jacin's silent confusion that comes with how nail polishes are named.

 _Jacin Bae: That's not a color._

"It's a bluish-gray to match the color of your eyes."

 _Jacin Bae: In that case, the color should be called "Cadet Clay's Orgasmic Orbs"._

Winter cringes with a matching laugh. "That is some disgusting alliteration."

 _Jacin Bae: Well, I don't want to talk about your pedicure._

"You don't really like to talk about anything."

 _Jacin Bae: I'm a listener, not a talker_.

-o-

During the tattoo procedure, Scarlet lies on a leather chair and Wolf sits on the opposite side from where her tattoo was being placed. She had to remove her bra but kept her T-shirt up most of the way to keep some decency and Wolf's eyes off of that certain area (not that she was really complaining about the latter). For some odd reason in Scarlet's eyes, Wolf is antsier than she is and he's just sitting beside her. He did offer to hold her hand and Scarlet just responded that he could hold his own hand since he has two of them.

"Are we almost done?" Scarlet asks.

"Just a little more shading," the artist replies. "Is the pain bad?"

"I can't tell yet."

It was like that question triggered her to feel pain because the moment the needle entered her skin this time, she tenses up and grabs Wolf's wrist which makes him jump a little.

"Oh, mes étoiles..." Scarlet curses under her breath. She glances over at her boyfriend who's already looking at her. "Je vous aime, Wolf."

Scarlet breathes heavily and looks at Wolf to say something in response, but his face is lost in translation.

"Did that mean you want to kill me?" Wolf asks.

Scarlet groans with an eye roll. "Maintenant, je vous déteste."

"Okay, _that_ meant you wanted to kill me."

"I said I love you...and that I hate you."

Wolf takes a breath. His Scarlet just told him that she loves him. He ignores the second part because all he heard was those first few words. His mother often told him that a warrior is a woman with infinite strength and right now, he was looking at one and he loved her so much.

"...wow, Scarlet, I - "

"No spade you love me back."

She pushes him a little and he holds her hand tightly to kiss it. That she does appreciate a lot. It almost eases the pain caused by the ink being shot into her skin.

Wolf smiles. "You want me to serenade you in French?"

"Aces, no! I think that would hurt more."

The artist laughs a little and Wolf glares at him.

"Mess up her tatt and I will kill you," Wolf threatens.

"Relax, Kesley, your girl is more chill than you," he responds.

Wolf rolls his eyes.

-o-

Cress got Thorne's text messages and read them twenty minutes later. She decided to go to Thorne and save him since he said so and she has her heart in it to follow. Cress glances out her bedroom window and sees grey clouds and growing winds so she grabs a light windbreaker before heading out the door.

Cress shoves her hands in her pocket as she continues walking to where Thorne said he would be. The wind pretty much leads her the way since it was pretty much pushing her tiny body to where she needed to go. She is a block away from the skate park and spots Thorne's car with Thorne and Kate nearby, talking very close to one another. Cress takes a few steps closer before stopping. What she sees next makes everything around her stop.

Thorne and Kate were kissing. _Kissing_.

Cress chokes on a gasp as the wind blows strands of her hair in front of her face. It feels as if the wind was for and against her - it tries to cover her eyes from seeing this and yet, it carried her here. Cress turns on her heels and heads the other way, pushing against the wind. She doesn't care. She just needs to get out of there as fast as possible.

The breath she takes burns a hole in her chest and she could taste the metallic bitterness and rancid jealousy in her mouth. The shock of it just makes her want to scream. She wants to cry but tears don't immediately come out. There's just this buzzing and sharp rage coursing through her.

If only someone told her that being in love with Thorne would only set her up for heartbreak, that having her heart and mind out for him would blow and break them both.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Now that Thorne and Kate have kissed, what will happen to Cress' feelings for Thorne?**


	69. A Thorne in His Side: Part Nine

**"Can you update tomorrow?" a wonderful guest asked me last night via a review to which I say "yes."**

 **Sometimes, I think I write all this romantic fluff is because I'm lonely and want a boyfriend. Like I'm not thirsty for one, I just think it'd be nice to have one.**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Nine

An empty pizza box later and all Cinder could think of is that she's making out with her boyfriend. Even though they've been going out for who knows how long (she doesn't like to keep a calendar), she still has to state to herself that she has a boyfriend and she is kissing him...and she can kiss him whenever she wants. There were no boys for her back in Artemisia so that's why Kai was so special to her.

The way he kisses behind her ear and down her neck.

The way he touches her hair and combs his fingers through, taking out her ponytail.

The way he looks at her with his dark eyes.

 _Everything_.

Kai makes her feel and want to do things she's never felt before. Every part of her is addicted to him. Being with him is like waking up like she's just discovering something new and amazing about the world.

Kai is completely under her spell and he just can't contain himself around her anymore. Every movement, every touch, every kiss has him enchanted. This is a new experience of lust and passion for him and it's something different. As much as it intrigues him, a small part of him is telling him to be careful, not to get involved with a girl he just found out the truth about; a girl that makes him nervous and uncertain of everything he does or says. But he can't stay away. He won't. Because with his uncertainty, she brings excitement. Her unexpected actions and truths leave him baffled and hungry for more, a better understanding of the mind that is hidden from him. He's falling and he's falling fast. If he doesn't stop now, he doesn't think he'll ever be able to.

-o-

Winter now sits on her bed with her pedicure splayed out to dry. During her entire pedicure, she was on the phone with Jacin and till now the call is still going. She has a bag of packaged dried cranberries in between her legs that she has been munching on for quite some time.

 _Jacin Bae: Have you finished unpacking?_

"No," Winter responds. "There one last box in my closet but I think it's full of random linens." Her curiosity suddenly spikes. "Why?"

 _Jacin Bae: Maybe you have a surprise in that last box._

Excited, Winter squeals a little as she hops off her bed. She makes her way over to her closet, as fast as she can since she has to use her heels to move due to her drying toenails. Winter opens her closet and walks inside, kneeling down on the last box that sits in the corner. She tears it open and digs through the miscellaneous bedsheets and towels until she spots something that shouldn't be there.

Then, her eyes land on a plaid flannel. One of Jacin's plaid flannels. Her heart stops as she holds it up to her face and inhales it in. The shirt has his scent of fresh soap and light body spray. Winter couldn't have felt happier and she's been happy since the day they first met. Every day, she keeps falling for him, even when she didn't think it was possible to be more in love with him than she already is.

"When did this get here?" Winter asks, feeling extremely giddy.

 _Jacin Bae: While you were packing, I asked one of your cleaning ladies to throw it in somewhere._

"I love it so much." She takes another whiff of it. "You're like a breath of fresh air whenever I see you."

 _Jacin Bae: Promise me you'll wear the flannel and not just keep on smelling it like a creep._

"But it would lose your scent and smell like me."

 _Jacin Bae: Then mail it back to me and I'll send you another one. That way, we'll have each other's scents and both be creeps whilist rotating. Is that a hashtag relationship goal, or what?_

Winter cringes a little with a laugh. "Hashtag definitely."

-o-

After their long day, Wolf drives back to his place with Scarlet. Once he lets her in his house, he locks the front door behind him and looks at his girl with an excited smile on his face. His girl, Scarlet Benoit, just got inked and even though he was scared, it was so worth it.

"Let me see it," Wolf says. "My ma isn't here right now."

Wolf expects Scarlet to just lift the bottom of her shirt up and show the tattoo just underneath her breasts, but she just rips off her whole shirt in one swift motion. Wolf stops breathing as he stares at Scarlet standing in front of him in a bra and her leggings and Scarlet's snarky smile means that she knows how starstruck he is at the moment.

She turns to the side (as if he wasn't already hypnotized) and she lifts the bottom of her bra's cup just a bit to show the tattoo better. It's currently protected by a transparent gauze and elastic tape but that didn't hinder how much of a work of art it was. Who would've thought that a small tomato cluster on the vine about the size of her thumb and forefinger if they were to make an L.

Scarlet can barely breathe out of her gratitude as she continues to gaze at the tattoo. Her skin is currently red, raw, and aching but the beauty of those tomatoes has her reeled in. That masterpiece on her skin steals her breath and fills her chest with a swelling confidence.

"Aces, I love you," Wolf tells her in one exhale.

Scarlet's blush deepens and when their eyes meet, she feels a spark explode inside her, lighting her up all within. It was one thing to know that her boyfriend loves her and it was so much better to hear him say it himself.

"Really?" Scarlet questions sarcastically. "I couldn't tell."

Wolf lets out a small laugh as Scarlet steps closer to him. She grips the hem of his shirt with her fingertips as she looks up at him longingly.

"Let me see yours," Scarlet begs.

Wolf takes off his shirt and Scarlet's first sight is his abs and his scars from his past life. There was something ruggedly charming about those. He twists his waist to show her the howling wolf tattoo that she's seen before but in the dark. Wolf also lifts his right arm (subtly showing off his buff bicep) and on the underpart is a tattoo of a barcode but instead of the usual combination of letter and numbers, it's his last name representing that he belongs to his family (kind of like how the howling wolf tattoo used to signify his allegiance with the gang life).

Scarlet traces the barcode tattoo with her fingertip in fascination. All of his tattoos represent loyalty and in a way, hers does as well.

She looks up and Wolf and she wants to run her fingers through his glossy and inviting hair. She has never felt so attracted to anyone before, and she's a little shocked at how much she wants him to hold her.

Without knowing, her body just moves on its own and she kisses him. It starts out as forceful and aggressive as her tongue explores every inch of his mouth. It feels like the world is spinning slowly. Slowly, the kiss turns sweeter, as if his lips were coated in sugar. He makes it hard for her to control herself.

"You have a new freckle," Wolf says as he holds her by the dips of her curves.

"There's no way you could possibly know that," she replies in disbelief.

She has too many freckles to conceal and soften. They were basically a map of the stars.

Wolf leans in closer and whispers, "If I could kiss every one of your freckles, I would."

Scarlet smirks. "I have freckles everywhere."

Wolf smirks and that's when he takes charge. He picks her up and pushes her with her back on the door and attacks her with his lips. The hardness of his body, his devilish smile against Scarlet's lips - she has to have him.

The thoughts are whirling around her head. His bare chest is warm and she could feel his heartbeat raise when she kisses his neck. With him, she almost forgets everything that happened before the tattoo.

Scarlet feels unstoppable. She couldn't wait. She just wants Wolf right now.

-o-

Thorne forcibly parts from his kiss with Kate, wondering what the stars just happened. Kate looks at him waiting for him to say something but he has no words. _Kate Fallow aka his ex-sweetheart with an emphasis on the ex preposition just kissed him and had a face that accepted that moment as completely normal when it was actually far from it._ Why was she so calm when he was internally freaking out?

"Don't you feel that spark we once had?" Kate asks, lightly touching the nook of his elbow.

Thorne's throat is as dry as a desert as he takes his arm back. "Had, Kate, _had_. Past tense. I don't feel anything with you anymore."

His chest heaves heavily as he waits for her to say something back but she only tilts her head a little, keeping her eyes squared on him. When Kate first returned, being close to her was no longer the same because of how it ended years ago. He thought he missed her, longed for her, and he did for a while but now, she doesn't do it for him anymore. That light he felt years ago for her was only a lightbulb. It was small and useful for the moment, but artificial and temporary. Thorne needed heat, sparks, flames...

Kate Fallow may have knocked him off his feet but Crescent Moon Darnel showed him that he can soar in the sky. Did it really take that kiss for him to truly realize that?

"You're right..." Thorne tells her. "Yes, I left and you became a new person but we had to. Change is learning. Change is growth. Change is beautiful and powerful and necessary. I was fine with you and now, I'm fantastic without you. That's the point of evolution."

Kate smirks proudly. "Look at you outsmarting me."

Thorne looks at her weirdly, feeling a smile form from the corners of his mouth. "Hold on, you don't have feelings for me anymore? You just wanted to talk about my feelings for you."

Kate smirks. "And just like your math homework, you still needed my help. My parents and I really came back to pay our respects to Kai's father. I thought I could find you easily and maybe catch up a little, but when I noticed you avoiding me like the plague, I knew you needed serious attention."

"Maybe I just didn't want to see you."

"If you really moved on, you would be fine with even a small hello."

Thorne huffs out a laugh in defeat as she shakes his head. "Aces, Fallow...you got me this time."

"Like fractions did." Her smile fades a little. "I was scared that how we ended prevented you from moving on and now I can see that this kind of closure means that you're fine - or by your own words, fantastic. You're not helping yourself with Cress by being here with me."

"How did you know it was Cress? Did someone blab?"

"I heard it with my impeccable hearing." She smiles again. "But tell me the truth, Thorne, do you feel that spark when you kiss her?"

"I've actually only kissed her once and felt an entire fireworks show."

She nudges him a little, not believing that Thorne only kissed her once. She places a hand on his shoulder.

"Go get her, Thorne," Kate encourages, glancing up at the dark clouds in the sky for a quick second. "Before the storm hits you."

Thorne feels a new rush of adrenaline flowing through his veins. He gives Kate one final hug before running back to his car and starting the engine. He takes a peek at his phone and sees that his messages to Cress haven't been answered so he doesn't know if she's ignored him or just didn't read them yet. He pulls onto the road and turns on the windshield wipes to swish off the oncoming raindrops.

There may be dark clouds in the sky but he's going out to find his Crescent Moon.

* * *

 **Talk about a plot twist I came up with last minute. I didn't want Kate to truly be that ex-who-cheated-and-wants-you-back type. Too cliché for me.**

 **The fact that this is also chapter 69 was totally not planned.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What will happen when Thorne finds Cress?**


	70. A Thorne in His Side: Part Ten

**And now, here is the beautiful conclusion to Thorne's arc.**

* * *

A Thorne in His Side: Part Ten

Cress didn't end up walking all the way back home. She stopped on an empty bench about five blocks away and sat right in the middle of it with her knees squeezed up against her chest. People who passed her spared no thought towards her but why would they? They don't know or care about what she's going through.

The image of Thorne and Kate kissing was burned into her mind and her legs felt like they were going to give out if she continued to venture on. And if she went home, she knew she was going to just drop on the first soft thing she saw and cry until it became soaked in her tears. At least if she stayed here, her face would remain dry because there was no way in the stars that she was going to cry in public.

Suddenly, she feels raindrops slowly patter on her head. Cress looks up and groans at the horribly timed movie cliché as it starts to rain harder. She puts on her hood and starts to trek back home. At least now, she could cry and her tears could be mistaken for raindrops.

Why did she feel mad? It's not like she and Thorne were exclusive or anything. And Kate Fallow was his first, his ex-sweetheart. Her reappearance before Cress could be something more was just another example of some perfectly timed movie cliché. Either way, it hurts.

She's now at that point where she isn't sure if there are tears on her cheeks or raindrops.

"Cress, get into my car."

Her heart stops. Cress' common sense is telling her to run because who knows whose voice that is, but her gut that recognizes the voice so she turns around only to face the brightest blue eyes that she's ever seen. The longer she looks into them, the more she senses that he's lost in his own gaze of her.

And he is.

When he looks into her big hazel eyes, all he sees is how much love she has for him shown by the stars that cluster in there. What she doesn't realize is how happy she makes him with just one smile.

"How the stars did you even find me?" Cress asks, starting to shake not only because it's cold and rainy.

Thorne makes his way closer to her. "Not to sound like a perv, but I've watched you walk long enough to know what you look like from behind."

She should've smiled but she looks devastated. There are tear stains running down her face that are being washed away by the rain and her hair droops down. Despite her wearing her heart on her sleeve, she is a strong woman who would often need encouragement to hold her head up high, but now she looks absolutely defeated and he knows the feeling. That was how he felt when he saw Kate cheat on him. To say that his heart dropped to his stomach was an understatement.

Cress just turns back around and continues walking away. Sometimes, a woman's silence is external proof that she no longer gives a spade and you're no longer worth her energy - but Thorne doesn't buy that one bit and continues following her, and she is well aware of that.

"You still have feelings for her, don't you?!" Cress asks him.

Thorne is taken by surprise by her asking that. "Stars, no!"

"Really? Because I saw you kiss her in the skate park and you seem to love everything that I'm not."

"I do but from your perspective."

Cress stops only because she's confused by what he meant and needs an explanation.

"I love that she is everything you're not because you are everything I could've truly wanted," Thorne explains. "First off, you're someone who loves me more than I love myself which I didn't think was really possible and second, you would much rather see the world than your reflection in the mirror."

"Then why did you go see her and ask me to come save you?"

"At first, I felt like a dick seeing and unintentionally kissing Kate because of whatever you and I possibly had and I'm worried that you think I'm just playing with you. I felt nothing but her lips when she kissed me and that was her ultimate plan. Kate doesn't want me. She wants you."

Cress is taken aback. "What?"

"That came out wrong. She wants me to be with you."

"Don't lie to me," Cress says as tears start forming in her eyes and she backs away. "I'm going home. Don't follow me and don't watch me leave."

"I can't. Not now because I already know how you feel about me and I have for a while."

And at that moment, Cress is cold, soaked, and drained of energy - but nothing mattered because, with Thorne, the world was making sense again. People make mistakes but you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them. How could she stay mad at someone who lights up a room just by being there? Cress stares at him, unable to process what he's saying. She is shocked and stunned into silence. If he already knew how she felt (and for a while), then why did he leave her waiting, and why did he bother seeing Kate Fallow? That's what has her more angered even more than before.

Cress turns around and looks up at him with furrowed brows. She tries to slap him but Thorne grabs her hand and stops it before it makes contact with his face, pulling her towards him and locking lips with her to shut her right up. He kisses her passionately as if he's releasing her anger with him that she had bottled up inside of her, pulling off her hood so his hands could mess around her hair as the rain falls on it. It's like he's telling her that everything is going to be okay, that despite his kiss with Kate, Cress can still trust him. That she _should_ trust him.

"I shouldn't have waited to tell you this but you're the perfect height to kiss," he says quickly before going back in.

Thorne finds himself locking in this familiar body, which grasps onto him tightly as he pulls her in closer. And just like that, he feels as if he is embracing the dependency of his existence, all while thinking to himself his much he strongly adores this person. She takes his breath away. She drowns reality with her angelic presence.

"Rain is romantic, right?" Thorne questions.

"The flu isn't," Cress responds, smiling.

Thorne laughs as he cups her face. He closes his eyes as he continues to kiss her again and it felt like he could finally breathe again. He inhales her scent that she always wore and it dawns on him that she is his person. Thorne starts to tear up as Cress holds him tighter and with that, he absolutely loses it. He could feel his knees getting weaker as he lets himself absorb her.

"I promise I'll tell you everything that happened with me and Kate," he says, wiping away his tears. "Just let us enjoy this for a moment longer and ignore me crying. Aces, Cress, I really love kissing you."

And he kisses her again. It's the greatest kiss she's ever had, which she realizes isn't saying much but it's one of those world-expanding kisses that she's out against any other kiss she's had or will have.

Cress wonders if this is all a dream. It just has to be because this feels like one. Those were some words she's been waiting to hear. She feels as if she slipped into some alternate reality - the kind that exists in those young adult harlequin novels, where public declarations of love were abundant and happy endings were promised. This was the kind of kiss that changes everything and as it deepens, whatever happened before becomes ancient history.

And they part for good this time, both of them breathing heavily as they stare right into each other's eyes.

"Are we good?" Thorne asks. "If you say no after all that, then I'm going to go cry in my car."

Cress nods, suddenly feeling a bit giddy. "I feel better than good."

Thorne smiles brightly as he holds her by the shoulders. He leans in closer towards her ear. "If we weren't both soaking wet and crying right now, I would take you right now in my car."

"You wouldn't really..." Cress starts blushing and swirling one of her hands to get to her point without having to say it.

Thorne clears his throat awkwardly. "Okay, maybe not at this very point in time but I want to take you up to the moon and back, and while we're up there, I'm going to steal some stars for you to keep. Now, come on."

"What?"

"I want to spend time with my girlfriend."

Cress smirks this time because she isn't sure if she heard that right. "...again, what?"

Thorne smirks as he wraps his arm around her to pull her close. "C'mon, Crescent Moon, we both know that you're my girl now. And we're going to my car for real this time because like you said, the flu is not romantic."

They both know that their friendship - their relationship - would never be the same again.

* * *

 **And now, there is one final person to get their arc to bring an end to season one of _Once Upon a Selfie_.**


	71. The Scarlet Letter: Part One

**All the positive reviews from the last chapter have actually made me so happy.**

 **And now, the final arc of season one of _Once Upon a Selfie_ belongs to Scarlet Benoit. I'm just going to let you know now that this arc will end with a transition point to season two.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part One

On this fine day, the girls all stand in their local drug store, congregated in the middle of an aisle they rarely have to venture down unless absolutely necessary which it presently is. The boys were left in the food court since this topic is foreign to them because they didn't have sisters and their mothers had no reason to talk to them about it. They learned about it in school but it's one thing to have a vague idea on than actually understanding it. So, the boys weren't completely in the dark but they also weren't in the light either.

And to the girls' surprise, synchronization really does equal sisterhood.

"Pads or tampons?" Cinder questions oddly cheerfully, holding a box of each in her hands.

Winter and Cress take their pick as does Cinder and they throw them into their joint shopping cart. The three of them look at Scarlet, waiting for her to choose something but she just stands there. She seems to have drifted off into space, staring blankly at the shopping cart while one of her arms is bent across her chest holding the nook of her elbow of the other arm.

"Scarlet?" Cinder calls.

Scarlet finally looks up and Cinder holds out a box of pads and tampons for her to choose from. Scarlet's mouth opens a little to say something but then she goes bug-eyed the longer she looks at them.

"Do you need any?" Cinder asks, starting to become concerned.

"No," Scarlet responds quickly, shoving her hands in her pocket.

"Lucky you have some at home," Cress mutters to herself.

Scarlet becomes shaking as she finds the need to hug herself. She takes a breath because she knows that this is her sisterhood and she can tell them more than anyone about what has her so rattled.

"Actually..." Scarlet murmurs. "I'm about five days late."

Scarlet is surprised when she just sees Cinder, Cress, and Winter just shrug off her statement. Here she is, currently scared for her life, and they're taking it so casually. If only she could do the same.

"We're all virgins here," Winter states. "It's no biggie to be a little late."

Winter looks at Scarlet to nod in agreement and put a smile on her face, but all Scarlet does is tilt her head a little with a slight shrug and slim smirk. Those small actions speak loudly as if they were screaming, and Cress does scream a little before Scarlet has to shush her to not draw attention to them. Winter just gives Scarlet a deadpan expression with a smile and Cinder is grinning excitedly.

"You and Wolf actually did it?" Cress questions, already knowing the answer is yes but needing a verbal confirmation.

"It was one time!" Scarlet tells them and the girls all start cheering. As if Cress' scream wasn't embarrassing enough, now they're being a squealing sisterhood.

"A lot of people are stupid but they still live productive lives," Cinder says with reaffirmation. Scarlet does not feel relieved with those words whatsoever.

"How was it?" Winter asks curiously, gripping onto Scarlet's arm.

"Fine," Scarlet responds blandly.

Winter shoves her a little. "Aces, Scarlet...I doubt Wolf Kesley was just _fine_. He's a hot sculpted man who came straight from the stars themselves."

Scarlet raises an eyebrow. "Then, allow me to paint you a picture of our _fine_ time together."

"No!" Cinder and Cress exclaim in sync.

Scarlet smirks a little. "Okay, it was great but it was a spur of the moment thing that happened after I got my tattoo because with whatever is going on in my life, I just wanted to escape it and go somewhere else. I was worried I couldn't pull it off since I've never had anything so outwardly sexy before but I loved it so much and he loved it so much and then, it just happened."

"Were you talking about the tattoo for that last part or the lovemaking?" Cinder questions.

Scarlet glares at her before starting to wonder herself. It could work for both. She suddenly isn't sure what she intentionally meant.

"Wow, Scarlet, I don't know what to say," the hopeless romantic side of Cress says.

"Probably because there's nothing to say," Scarlet grumbles. "Now, I'm in this mess."

Cinder drops the pads and tampons on a nearby shelf and instead throws Scarlet a box of pregnancy tests into the cart. Scarlet stares at them for a few seconds before starting to break down on the spot.

"I'm not even sure if I'm pregnant," Scarlet weeps. "I hope I'm not because I already have a lot on my plate to stress about."

"And now a possible bun in your oven," Cinder adds with her voice drifting off.

Cress pulls a tissue box from the shelves next to them and Scarlet tears it open to take some out. When she has enough, she drops it in the cart to pay for on the way out.

"I don't think what you're saying is true," Winter says honestly to Scarlet.

"That doesn't matter because it feels true," Scarlet responds.

Winter puts a hand on her shoulder. "Well, if it is true then you and Wolf will have a beautiful baby."

Scarlet knows that Winter could be a model: flawless dark skin and long lashes that aren't store-bought, and yes she was the one telling her that she and her _"hot sculpted"_ potential baby daddy were going to have the beautiful baby. Scarlet finds the wonderful thing about her best friends is that they can tell when you don't want to talk and don't make you push it. They just support you with whatever they have. That's what squealing synchronized sisterhoods were for.

-o-

Meanwhile, in the food court, Wolf, Kai, and Thorne were chilling amongst themselves as they wait for their girls to come back. They could've accompanied them on the shopping spree like good boyfriends would, but a true boyfriend would admit that he had no interest in standing around wishing the day would end and would rather sit with his bros; which is what they said. That, and the girls kept on talking about a synchronized sisterhood involving blood and the boys wanted no part in their creepy sounding cult.

"I personally don't care what a girl wears just as long as she doesn't wear too much of it," Thorne says, finishing his point.

Wolf and Kai stare at Thorne for a bit. A few small thoughts later and they're nodding in agreement. Whether Thorne was talking about makeup or clothes didn1mt make a difference to them. Then, Cinder, Cress, and Winter walk in, having heard what Thorne said and are revolted because their minds automatically go to him talking about clothes.

"I don't even want to know what you've been talking about," Cinder says.

Thorne leans on her since she stands behind him. "Would you f me, Cinder?"

"If f means forget, then absolutely."

Cinder pushes him over in the booth and climbs over the seat so she could sit next to Kai. She looks at the table in front of her and sees a warm coffee cup with her name on it.

"Kai, you got me a coffee?" Cinder asks as she takes it.

"It's black, like your heart," Kai replies sweetly.

"Size?"

"Large, like your secrets."

"Sugar?"

"None, like your emotions."

Cinder smiles as she takes a sip and Kai kisses the side of her head. Thorne stretches over and grabs Cress by the waist to place her in his lap. She throws her head back with a smile on her face as Thorne holds her close to him. Winter sits across the table, stretching her arm across the table with her cell phone out, recording these precious moments and putting them on her story. When she retracts her arm back, she smirks to herself as she replays them, tagging her friends, and happily captioning it before posting it.

"Where's Scarlet?" Wolf asks.

The girls' smiles suddenly falter. They each wait for another one of them to answer but none of them do.

"Yeah, where is she?" Thorne adds, shaking Cress a little. "Is she buying us all food?"

"She went home," Cress replies.

"Why?" Wolf asks.

"Her winged eyeliner just veered off course," Winter responds.

The guys, and even Cinder and Cress look at her confused. Winter just plays it off as a normal answer since it made sense in her own head. Wolf gets up from his seat and excuses himself to check up on Scarlet since there was something more to her absence than just a makeup error (he didn't even know that Scarlet wore eyeliner).

-o-

Scarlet went back home to take the pregnancy test. She didn't feel comfortable with doing it in public. In the case that she was pregnant, the last place she would want to find out was the bathroom at the mall.

And now, as she rests the test on the bathroom counter, waiting for her results. She can't find herself to look at it so instead, her eyes look slightly upwards, right at her reflection in the mirror.

Scarlet finds herself kind of funny looking. Her face was hard to ignore due to all the freckles (which made the acne phase of puberty unbearable for her) and she hasn't even thought of her hair yet. Then again, she is comfortable with who she is. She loves her loud curls, curves, legs, and a great bust and butt for her body type. The longer Scarlet gazed at her face in the mirror. Genes she'd gotten from her father and mother - not that she had any recollection of what she looked like - created this face. She can try her best not to let any emotions show, keep her eyes from revealing anything but there's not much she can do about her looks. She's stuck with her father's thick brows and mother's red hair and freckles (so she's been told). She could erase both her parents from her memory but there's no way to erase the DNA passed down to her. She could change her hair, eyebrows, and lipstick each day but DNA is permanent.

If she was pregnant, she hopes the baby looks more like Wolf than the mess she is. _What is she even saying?_

Scarlet snaps back to reality when she hears knocking on her door. Her gut instinct is to look for her phone and it isn't on her. She must've thrown it somewhere when she got back. Instead, she grabs the pregnancy test and shoves it in her back pocket so she wouldn't just leave it lying around.

She opens the door and is almost paralyzed when she sees him. Despite loving him, he was the last person she wanted to see the moment. She fears that his current look of distress and worry will soon turn into anger and distaste.

"Are you okay?" Wolf asks her. Clearly, her face says that she's far from it.

Sometimes, when life felt too good to be true, fear starts to creep up on her. She had suffered too much in her life at such a young age but lately, the happier she got, the more scared she got to lose that too.

"Here," Scarlet says, reaching into her back pocket and handing him the pregnancy test.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Is the test positive or negative?**


	72. The Scarlet Letter: Part Two

**I love how all of y'all really wanted the test to be negative or for there to be more Kaider and frankly...SAME.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Two

Wolf looks down at the object Scarlet put in his hands. He obviously knows what it is and for some reason, he doesn't feel himself reacting like anyone else would. In all honesty, he's just confused.

"Why did you give me a negative pregnancy test?" Wolf asks.

Scarlet is taken aback for a second as she takes the test back. When she looks at it herself, she collapses in utter relief. She runs her hands through her hair before completely relaxing. Wolf, however, is confused and perplexed by whatever just happened.

"My period is late," Scarlet explains to him.

Wolf freezes as the only thought running in his head was _'oh my stars, my girl thought I got her pregnant'_. Then, he starts thinking back to the time it happened and wonders if he used protection or not.

"You don't get how scared I was," Scarlet says as she pulls Wolf inside and closes the door behind him. "I couldn't even begin to think about having a baby because not only am so teenager but I don't know how to mother and I wasn't even sure what you were going to say or do."

The atmosphere between Scarlet and Wolf is thick. He isn't sure what to say or what to do with his hands. Thankfully, Scarlet keeps on talking.

"I hate it," Scarlet continues. "I hate my face, my freckles, my curls, my genes...I hate everything I inherited from my parents only because I got it from them. The only mothering my mom ever did for me was carry me in her womb for nine months. I haven't seen my mom since she left since she never bothered to get in touch and I have no clue where she is. I barely remember what she looks like since my dad got rid of every photo she was in. I don't remember her smell, her touch or her face. Everything back in France was twisted. My father polluted everything in his touch, damaged everything and everyone around him. I don't know if he did it because he wanted to or because he had to. Maybe that's why mom left and she didn't take me with her because I was polluted. And then, I was stuck with my drunkard dad where I only had to option to run away from it all. I felt like if I stayed there, I would've been damaged beyond repair."

And then, Scarlet curls into herself and cries. She leans against the door before sliding down it, sitting on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably. Her tears dampen the curls that stick to her cheeks and she can't bring it to herself to look up at Wolf until he sits down beside her. Wolf wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close to him.

"I told you that I would kiss every single one of your freckles," Wolf whispers to her. "And contrary to your popular belief, Scarlet Benoit, I would've loved a kid."

Scarlet pushes him off of her. "You're just saying that."

Wolf pulls her back in. "I'm a firm believer in loyalty. I will live up to my actions...most of the time."

He smiles at her to get her to budge and the corners of her mouth twitch a little. Scarlet sits up again and leans against the wall.

"You might have been better off not knowing all those spades about my family," Scarlet mutters disgracefully.

"If you have to carry that around, I should as well," he replies.

"But you didn't do anything. You just listened to me."

"Ma says listening is incredibly powerful." He turns her head to face him. "Scarlet, you will never have to lose yourself to win me over. I will love you as long as my heart is beating."

-o-

After Scarlet's sudden unannounced exit (only from the boy's' perspective), the remaining group sort of went their separate ways. Wolf obviously went to go check up on Scarlet which was the start of the departures. Winter had to go home since she had an appointment with Dr. Darnel later in the day, and Cress and Thorne wanted to go window shopping as a testament to their newborn relationship. This left Cinder and Kai alone in their booth in the food court, not that they minded.

Cinder puts her small backpack on the table and dumps it out to find her wallet. Not only does her wallet tumble out but so do her tampons and a box of pregnancy tests that was supposed to go to Scarlet (since they bought many different types. To Cinder's surprise, different brands of pregnancy tests had various ways of saying pregnant or not even though they all detected HCG the same way).

"What the stars are those?!" Kai exclaims, eyes darting right for the pregnancy tests.

"Pregnancy tests," Cinder responds ever-so casually as she just tosses them back in her bag with the tampons. "Got them by accident."

"Why are you keeping them?" Kai asks.

Cinder shrugs. "Just in case we don't use protection when visiting that fantasy land of erotica together."

Cinder glances at Kai with a wild smirk on her face and Kai's mouth goes completely dry. Sure any ordinary girl would make Kai's life happy but Cinder is one who would make it extraordinary. She has so far. And then there were some things she said, like that, which are unordinary. Nobody will ever have the patience to handle her like he does.

"And now I will never go there with you," Cinder says jokingly, lightly pinching his inner thigh just to get a rise out of him. He jumps up feeling a little freaked out.

Cinder waits for Kai to respond but he still seems a bit disturbed by the fact that she has pregnancy tests in her bag to do anything let alone say something.

Cinder clears her throat. "To be honest, if our parents were still around and we ever did accidentally get pregnant, I think your dad will be as stunned and confused as you are right now and our moms will be shook to the stars."

Kai is still busy processing the pregnancy tests to be thinking about this new headcanon. He can't blame himself for wondering why she had those if they never even made it that far to even be thinking of using those. He's genuinely confused right now.

"And my mom would want our baby's name to mean moon to continue that legacy," Cinder says almost nostalgically. "As far back as I know is Jannali, Channary, Levana, and me as Selene."

Kai can finally make eye contact with her and can't understand why her face is as neutral as it would be if she was talking about what she did on the weekend. Why did she look so serious about the moon legacy?

"Kai," Cinder says, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm kidding about the pregnancy tests, I swear. They're for someone else. Will you say something?"

Kai exhales a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Forget cock-block, you're an actual cinder block."

"They build houses with cinder blocks."

Kai huffs our a laugh that sounds sarcastic. "Look at us talking about babies and houses already. Thank the _stars_ we don't have to be making _big_ life decisions yet."

Cinder snorts a little when she laughs at that. She appreciates him being sarcastic instead of going ballistic at the touch of the topic she was just poking at. She's happy he isn't as sensitive as others would be.

"Speaking of moon names," Kai continues, "Cress' name is literally Crescent Moon."

Cinder thinks about that for a second. A part of her feels as if she already knew that but it just skipper her mind. Did she know Cress' real name before this conversation?

"My mom might love her more than me," Cinder confesses. "I'm more surprised that she didn't name me Luna after the damn country."

Kai laughs a little. "We're not our parents but who are we if not a product of their mistakes and history."

"You're literally saying that to the urban myth daughter of a dictator who destroyed her country."

-o-

"Hypothetically speaking," Winter says as she holds the phone to her ear with her shoulder since she's rummaging through her bag before getting ready for her appointment. "If I told you I was pregnant, what would you do?"

 _Jacin Bae: Ask who the father is._

Winter rolls her eyes as she hears Jacin laughing to himself on the other end. Ever since Scarlet came to her with her possible scare, Winter couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she was in the position. Clearly, Jacin isn't taking it seriously like she is. When she focuses back on her phone call, she doesn't hear Jacin laughing anymore.

 _Jacin Bae: Wait, Winter, are you actually-?_

Winter jumps a little when she hears her door swing open. She turns around and sees Levana standing there, making her way inside. Winter lowers her phone as she watches Levana get closer to her.

"Are you pregnant?" Levana asks, crossing her arms.

"Aces, no," Winter responds suddenly feeling her cheeks heat up. Jacin's laugh on the phone isn't helping. "I've never even done it." She looks up at Levana with a small smirk. "Why? How would you react?"

Levana takes a breath. "Pray to the stars that it's Jacin's."

 _Jacin Bae: Same._

-o-

Sometime after, Wolf finds himself walking. He doesn't really pay attention to where he's going since his mind is fixated on what happened at Scarlet's. He couldn't believe that there was the chance that he got her pregnant. He tries his hardest to think back to if he used protection or just pulled out on time but spades, he can't remember. How could he have been so careless? He blames Scarlet for being so hot. That is all she would be at fault for in this scenario. What would he have done with himself if he actually had a child on the way?

"Yo! Cannis Lupus!"

Odd enough, Wolf turns around and sees Thorne and Kai in a car pulled up to the side. He jogs over and opens the back door, passing out onto his stomach in misery.

"What the stars did you call me?" Wolf grumbles.

"Your name in Latin," Thorne responds.

Wolf rolls his eyes. He pulls out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and lights one up and Kai starts driving.

"No smoking in Nainsi," Kai scolds.

"Sorry, Nainsi, but I seriously need it right now," Wolf says. He doesn't even comment on why Kai's car has a name because there were more boggling things in his mind.

"What happened with Scarlet?"

"She thought she was pregnant."

Wolf expected Thorne and Kai to sympathize with him and nod their heads, but their stunned faces don't even come close to relating with him. They're speechless. Wolf is more surprised he made _Thorne_ speechless. And to think that he asked that so casually. (At least to Kai, he now knows why Cinder had the pregnancy tests and who they were really for).

"You guys haven't had that problem?" Wolf asks just to make sure he's on the same page as them. "Really? Kai, you haven't explored Cinder's engine or Thorne, you haven't seen Cress' moon?"

Again, the two boys are silent.

"Cinder's too mechanically inclined," Thorne says on behalf of Kai.

"Cress' head is in the stars," Kai says on behalf of Thorne.

Wolf groans, exhaling some smoke and then doing Nainsi a favor and cracking open one of the back windows so neither Kai or Thorne (or even Nainsi) die of second-hand smoke. He shifts positions and is now lying on his back in the entire back seat, but since he's tall, his knees are slightly bent upwards.

"Too bad..." Thorne mutters, turning over a little to look at Wolf. "I would've loved a godchild."

"Who says you would've been the godfather?" Wolf asks.

"I thought it was obvious."

"More like you're oblivious."

"I appreciate the honor."

Wolf smirks to himself. He likes to return his favors to Thorne by teasing him mercilessly. Because of friendship. That's it.

"You're very calm about all that," Kai says to him.

"I had to keep my spades together she didn't freak out!" Wolf looks over to them. "Guys, I have never been more scared in my life."

* * *

 **Of course it was going to be negative. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's teen pregnancy clichés in stories...(ignore the hypocrisy)**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Scarlet's period isn't the only thing that's late.**


	73. The Scarlet Letter: Part Three

**I apologize if I forget to update but I don't have that many chapters left and I'm incredibly busy with real life at the moment.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Three

The next morning, Scarlet stands by her locker and closes it once she sees her girls approaching. She didn't get back to them about yesterday after she left them at the mall since after an episode of crying on Wolf, she just passed out on her bed and called it a day. She was happy to not have any missed calls or texts from them and even though that might mean they're bad friends, Scarlet believes different. They knew that she didn't want to talk to them right now.

"How are you?" Cinder asks her, unsure if she should rest her hand on Scarlet's stomach or something like that. So, she just keeps her hands at her own side.

"Fine," Scarlet replies. "The pregnancy test, as well as my period, were both negative." She groans a little. "I just want to eat a dozen cupcakes."

"Why not just one big cake?" Winter suggests.

Scarlet pauses, putting some thought into that logic. She makes a mental note to herself to buy herself one big cake if she survives the school day.

"Did you study for the test?" Cress asks her.

Scarlet's expression is both a bit curious and deadpanned. "What test?"

Before Cress could answer, Wolf sweeps in and wraps an arm around Scarlet's waist, pulling her closer to him so he could plant one into her hair. Cress finds herself swooning over their romance rather than answering Scarlet's question. She instantly forgot she asked in the first place.

"Yeah, there's a test today," Cinder tells Scarlet.

"What?" Scarlet asks. She looks up at Wolf. "Did you know about that?"

Wolf shakes his head, laughing. He finds himself laughing, even more, when he sees Thorne and Kai approaching them, mostly because Thorne is panicking over an opened textbook and a flood of his own questions for Kai. Clearly, it was evident on who studied and who didn't.

"I don't know anything!" Thorne sings as papers spill out of his textbooks.

"You're scared which means you care, Thorne," Kai says as he helps him clean up his mess.

While he's on the ground helping Thorne, Kai feels Cinder's hands running through his hair. He smirks as he stands up again and Cinder's hands fall down to his shoulders. He gives her a quick kiss as well before giving Thorne his papers back.

"Why don't you compliment me?" Cress asks, poking Thorne's arm as he fumbles with his papers and textbook.

"Because you turn my brain to mush," Thorne responds.

"I think you're confusing me for tectonic plates."

Thorne can't think of a clever enough response since his brain is the equivalent of a marsh at the moment. Cress just poked at him for not knowing anything about geography (especially tectonic plates). Everyone laughs as the bell rings and Thorne only groans since that means it's the start of the dreaded test.

-o-

The classroom is so silent that the only audible noises are pens against the paper and the ticking second hand of the clock. The teacher sits up at the front with her eyes on her desk, not looking at the students to make sure they weren't cheating because she's intense. Her glance alone could shrivel up parts of the students that they preferred not to be shriveled.

Thorne takes a breath as he turns to the next page of the test. Then, he winces a little at the questions. "I don't need to be perfect, just passable."

Scarlet coughs into her arm. "Unrealistic." She covers it up with a second cough.

She can't turn back to look at him but he knows that he's giving her a dirty look so she smirks in a snarking way. He knows that she has that look on her face.

Winter blinks back into reality once her thoughts finish and she instantly remembers that she's in a test. She crosses her legs in her seat as if she was doing yoga and sees where she left off. Winter's lips form a confused circle when she sees that she left off mid-sentence before she tuned out and doesn't remember what her thoughts were back then.

"Oh, blessed stars, please be with me right now..." Winter prays as she picks up her pen and continues writing something that maybe makes sense.

Thorne slouches in his chair, wishing that Winter would pray for him as well since he's beyond screwed. He fiddles with his pencil and then sees that from this point of view, he could see Kai's test and unlike his own, it has answers on it. Were they the right answers? He wasn't sure but writing down something was better than nothing. And hey, the teacher was distracted so maybe he wouldn't get caught.

"Some things are worth getting in trouble for," Thorne mutters to himself as he tries his best to subtly peek.

"We're a couple of misfits that fate brought together..." Winter sings softly and randomly to herself as she continues writing. Nobody wonders what that has to do with geography but if it gives her some answer then props to her.

"What part of the test did you write that for?" Cinder asks, smirking to herself.

As Thorne stretches his neck upwards, he suddenly feels something like a pen thwack him from behind. Thorne jumps a little before turning back and seeing Wolf waving at him with a grin. Wolf then points at his own eyes and then at his test, basically telling Thorne not to cheat. Thorne gives him the finger and looks back at his blank test miserably.

"Yo," Scarlet softly calls. "What's the answer to question 5?"

"27," Thorne replies.

"Why is your answer a number?! We're in geography!"

"...I tried factoring the map of the world," Thorne responds jokingly.

"Even then, it wouldn't be 27," Cress snaps back.

If they could laugh at the moment, they would. Instead, they can only smirk. Thorne couldn't believe his Crescent Moon was outsmarting him so much today. He's impressed.

"Didn't you study?" Kai asks.

"I've had more important things to deal with than types of soil," Scarlet replies sharply. "Let me cheat if I want to."

"That's my girl," Thorne says before another pen from Wolf hits the back of his head.

"Good luck on the essay," Kai murmurs to Scarlet and Thorne as he turns back to his own test.

"There's an essay?" Scarlet and Thorne question as they turn the page and see that there is an entire essay to write and barely ten minutes left.

"Well, spades..." Wolf murmurs defeated. "Gotta channel my inner Cress for this."

They all kind of glance at Cress who is suddenly napping on her desk. Her test is turned over and at the corner of her desk. By lucky guess, she finished the entire test about fifteen minutes ago. Did that much time pass already? Apparently so. Scarlet and Thorne gawk at her before looking at their blank essay pages.

They look over at Cinder and notice that her hand is cramping. And, ever so casually and smoothly, she just throws her pen in her other pen and continues writing. Again, they're all surprised. Nobody except Winter knew about Cinder's double dexterity.

Kai coughs. "Cyborg." He coughs again to cover it up.

Cinder doesn't even look up from her test to give Kai the finger with her free hand. He smirks, shaking his head.

"Think she could write my essay with her free hand?" Thorne asks hypothetically.

In response, he gets the same gesture she just gave Kai.

-o-

The bell rings and as the class hands in their tests and files out, Thorne's test had to be ripped out of his hands since he was using it as a tissue during the last five minutes since he had no answers. Scarlet just handed hers in like everyone else, having just written her essay in point form since she just needed something on the paper that wasn't tears. Winter gave in her test as well as Cinder's, Cress', Wolf's, and Kai's since Cinder had to go wake up Cress from her little nap, Wolf had to go pick up all the pens he threw at Thorne, and Kai had to drag Thorne away from his desk that he was clinging onto.

"I failed!" Thorne cries once he enters the hallway, falling onto Kai. "I have no future now!"

Kai pushes Thorne onto Winter who lovingly wraps her arm around his head and pats it, consoling him. She rocks him back and forth.

"I will take you in," Winter tells him. "Being dumb is okay. It means you've checked with your ego and are okay with the fact that you're not the best at something."

"You're a true friend."

Winter smiles at him.

"Please tell me there's not another test today," Cinder begs, shaking her hands.

"I got chemistry during last period," Kai says.

"We do?" Thorne exclaims before wailing on Winter's shoulder.

Kai stares at Thorne for a bit, pitying his poor friend for not studying for anything. He swings his backpack around to his front and pulls out his chemistry textbook. Thorne's eyes brighten as Kai opens the pages.

"Time for a crash course in organic chemistry," Kai says as he leads Thorne towards their second period.

"I'm off to run the pacer test," Cinder says, spinning on her heel and heading to the gym.

"C'mon, Cress," Winter says, linking their arms at the elbow. "Time for mixed media."

"See you guys later!" Cress exclaims as the bell rings.

Left behind are Scarlet and Wolf who take their time walking down the hall to their next respective classes. Scarlet feels her phone vibrate in the hem of her skirt and she pulls it out to see what the text message is. She stops walking when she sees that it's from an unknown letter and the text is in French.

 _Unknown: Avez-vous reçu la lettre?_

Wolf turns around and sees Scarlet staring at her phone like a deer-in-headlights.

"Scarlet?" Wolf questions, walking up to her and lowering her phone so she'll look at him. He sees that she looks more scared than Thorne did when the teacher screeched that there were five more minutes left for the test and all that he was positive he got right was his name. "Babe, what is it?"

He looks at her phone and reads the text message.

"Did you receive the letter," Scarlet translates.

"What letter?" Wolf asks.

"Can we skip class?" Scarlet asks hurriedly.

Meanwhile, Scarlet gets an unknown text that says, "Did you get the letter?"

Scarlet is unsure.

* * *

 **Admittedly, I am a mix of Cresswell and Winter while writing tests.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What letter is this mysterious text talking about?**


	74. The Scarlet Letter: Part Four

**I am sorry if I don't put a lot of the couples in this story, but I don't want to focus too much on them because I also want to put light on the group as friends. That and I wrote ALL of these chapters and future chapters in advance so I already have them ready.**

 **By the way, my favorite pairing is Wolflet.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Four

During their second period class, Scarlet is still haunted by that text message, not knowing what it means or why it's in French. Wolf is by her side for both moral and emotional support. They both sit at one of the cafeteria tables in the corner, close to one another with two cups of lukewarm semi-decent cafeteria coffee on the table. The least of their worries right now is if a teacher would approach them and ask why they weren't in class (since saying an ominous text message probably isn't a legit excuse) but lucky for them, the student supervisors don't really give a spade if students aren't in class.

"What letter do you think they're talking about?" Wolf asks her.

Scarlet shrugs. "Maybe they mean The Scarlet Letter."

"The what?"

"It's a book, Wolf. It's about a woman who commits adultery and has to wear a big bright red letter A on her chest to show that."

Wolf hesitates for a second. "Unless a random person in France knows that we've done the act before, why would that be it?"

Scarlet winces a little. "I don't know. I'm just listing some possibilities." She glances at him. "I only told my girls because I was scared, so who have you told?"

"Only Thorne and Kai."

Scarlet immediately punches his arm. Wolf slides back in his seat having not seen that coming. He waits a moment before scooting back into place and sees Scarlet frowning at him.

"What?" Wolf asks. "It's not that big a deal and you told the girls!"

"Aces, Wolf..." she runs a stressed hand through her hair and gives Wolf her phone. "Tell that to the sender of this creepy text. I bet you my next paycheck that Thorne wrote all that he knew about it on his test."

Scarlet smiles a little Wolf laughs to himself. He takes a sip of his coffee, regretting it right after as he forces himself to swallow it.

"I only told them because I was freaking out," Wolf admits.

"You could've told me that," Scarlet says softly. "I thought you were relaxed about it."

"You were already losing your spades and it wouldn't make it better if I lost it."

Both of them sit in silence again. Their questionable coffee has stopped steaming and the student supervisors have glanced over due to their loud talking, gladly not giving them their time of day.

"I still haven't gotten my period," Scarlet mutters.

"Maybe because this is all freaking you out," Wolf suggests. He finally notices the angle she's playing at. "Are you going to take another test?"

"The thing is, I still have some at home but I really feel as if my period should be here."

"What's that supposed to feel like?"

"My boobs feel heavy."

Scarlet watches as Wolf's eyes gravitate there to see if he can agree with her statement. Scarlet smirks a little as she playfully nudges his head to the side and laughs a little. She gets up, taking their coffees and throwing them in the trash before making her way outside via the cafeteria's doors. Wolf get up, taking both of their backpacks and follows her. Once he's outside, Scarlet spins around and faces him.

"Quit staring at my overtly large not-perfect bust," Scarlet tells him.

"Please," Wolf scoffs, " I hate when people call their partners perfect. I love all your flaws, especially your overtly large not-perfect bust."

Scarlet smirks and suddenly, he pushes her against the wall, dropping their bags, to show how much he means to her, how he can't control his love for her. He grips her shoulders and pulls her in. With his steady hands, he holds her close while exploring her mouth and she can feel his smile against her lips.

Bad boys may be the ones who get the girl, but Wolf became the good boy who could marry Scarlet if he asked nicely.

"Let's cut the rest of the day," Wolf suggests. "I'll drive you home and you can change and then, I'll pick you up again."

"What should I wear?" Scarlet asks.

"You and your overtly large not-perfect bust will look beautiful in anything."

"That's nice but not helpful."

Love is devastating and scary but it's also beautiful and life-changing. She's found her person who's worth the risk. And if their relationship has made it this far, they know that with time, they could conquer anything. His understanding smile is all the reassurance that she needs. He meant it when he said he was loyal so no matter what, he was going to be there.

-o-

During their lunch hour, Cress sits crossed-legged at the cafeteria table, holding open a chemistry textbook in front of Thorne who looks at her puzzled the whole time. She looks at him, biting her bottom lip in concern when he's unable to answer a question she would deem as simple. It was a question that was more or less a review of what they covered last year and Thorne not knowing the answer is troublesome.

"I think I'll do great!" Thorne exclaims, noticing Cress' opposite expression.

"I like that confidence," Cress says optimistically, "even if it's false confidence."

On that note, Thorne closes the textbook in her hands and throws it on the table. He takes Cress's hands and pulls her closer so that her back is leaning on him. He can feel her simmering laugh transfer onto his body and he loves that feeling.

"What are you doing?" Cress asks playfully.

"I'm done studying," Thorne mutters back before quickly kissing her cheek.

Cinder stares directly at him from her spot at the table. "You were done when the school year started."

"More like you never started studying," Kai adds from beside her.

Cinder and Kai high-five without even looking at one another. Thorne rolls his eyes at them as Cress laughs. Winter smiles to herself as she looks down at her lunch.

"I am being such a fifth wheel right now," Winter says. "I finally understand how Cinder felt back home."

Cinder turns back to her. "I was _not_ a fifth wheel."

"I had Jacin and even though Iko is always messing with Kinney, fighting him or ready to whoops his butt; they will get married one day."

Cinder puts a little thought into Iko and Kinney getting married and shudders the horror away. It basically makes her lose the appetite she didn't have because cafeteria food is nasty. She can't see that ever happening and will spare Iko the details of Winter's belief because she will definitely come after Winter for saying that.

"I'd consider myself to be more of a cock-block than a fifth wheel," Cinder says.

Cress points her fork at Cinder. "I have a hard time believing you didn't have boys chasing you in Artemisia. You are a literal goddess from the stars."

Cinder holds back on the overly flattering compliment since she doesn't consider her to be at that level of beauty. She wasn't self-conscious and did love the way she looked, but she just wasn't a girl who would call herself beautiful.

"I had a few but they weren't worth chasing back," Cinder admits. "Some of them liked the smell of fruity or floral body sprays and I wasn't about spraying myself."

"You smell like freshly cut grass," Kai tells Cinder.

"Mixed with motor oil," Winter slips in.

Cinder throws a piece of lettuce that fell out of her sandwich at her. "I work in a garage!"

-o-

After dropping Scarlet off at her place, Wolf walks right into his house. As he closes the door and hears other noise coming from the house. He curses to himself, having thought his mom was at work but apparently, today is her day off. And he knows that she heard him come into the house since he was not being subtle about his entrance at all.

"You better have a good reason for being here during school hours!" He hears his mother yell.

Wolf drops his bag at the side of the door and walks into his house. Arguing that it's currently lunch hour would not help his case at all since his mom would know that he isn't going back to school. He peeks down the hallway and sees the light on in the bathroom. How his mom knew it was him coming into the house, he will never know.

"Something came up," Wolf replies.

Maha comes running out of the bathroom. "You're pregnant!"

Wolf chokes on air and starts coughing crazily. How his mom was able to even think that scared the living spades out of him.

"What the stars, Ma?!" Wolf yells. "Why would you guess that?!"

She smiles with him as she taps his nose. "You're glowing."

Wolf is speechless and his mom is expecting him to get a good laugh out of that because she was obviously joking. When she sees the uncomfortableness in his face, she connects the dots and whacks him in the back of his head while muttering in her mother tongue of Hebrew.

"Would you relax?" Wolf says as he rubs the spot on his head that she hit. "She's not actually pregnant."

She still looks at him a tad bit disappointed and he knows that she's tired and exhausted and worried about paying all the bills. It was the number one rule of being an immigrant's child - don't screw up in your new country because your parent left all that she knew back home to give you a better life. But he knows that his mom had a time where she had no duties; where she could live out loud and do nothing but rage, roar, and riot. That's definitely what she did back in Luna when President Blackburn was in power (and no, Wolf never told his mom about the Cinder being Selene Blackburn revelation). Wolf likes to believe that's why he was named after that kind of animal - be loud and loyal when you have to.

"Don't scare me like that," she scolds, hugging her arms at her sides.

"You shouldn't say stuff like that!" Wolf argues.

"You should've used protection."

Wolf cringes a little. "Don't say that either."

"To think, you have this new girlfriend who I think is wonderful for you and you never introduced us. And here I am finding out that you gave her a pregnancy scare all on my own."

"I will let you meet her sometime."

" _'I will'_ ," she mocks bitterly. "Tell your French girl to bring me some croissants when you invite her."

"Ma, I don't think she eats croissants."

"Baguettes?"

Now he knows that she's kidding on a play of Scarlet's French background. "Seriously?"

Maha smirks. "Seriously. Even with never having the chance to see the two of you together, I can tell that you're meant for each other."

"Quit trying to guilt trip me, Ma, you'll meet her eventually."

"I better."

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Two special deliveries come for Scarlet...**


	75. The Scarlet Letter: Part Five

**It is literally almost 5AM and I am on the road and drinking coffee life is amazing!**

 **When I said Wolflet was my favorite ship, they are my favorite by the slimmest margin. TLC is the only fandom where I genuinely love ALL the canon ships.**

 **And guys, feel free to let me know in the reviews anything you want. Your reviews don't even have to be about the story in general but just about TLC or anything. This is a safe place to share your thoughts.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Five

Early one morning, Winter walks into Cinder's room with a box in her arms. She's still in her pajamas, not ready for school yet and even though this could've waited until a reasonable hour, Winter was way too excited and wanted to do this now.

Winter tries to close the door behind her with her foot but accidentally drops the box to the floor. Winter's body tenses, feeling as if she were standing on eggshells since Cinder is still asleep in her bed, but as she goes to pick up the box and seeing that her cousin was still asleep, she knew that she was going to be fine.

Winter keeps her eyes on the sleeping Cinder as she circles her way around to the side of the bed. She can't believe how beautiful Cinder is. She sleeps so peacefully and can do so through anything, like an angel in a tornado.

Winter takes a seat on an empty space in Cinder's bed since Cinder literally sleeps in the middle, flat on her stomach. Winter brushes some of Cinder's hair out of her face and starts poking Cinder in the cheek. Cinder must have felt that because she turns over and pulls the quilt over her head, making Winter bite down on her lip to avoid bursting out laughing.

Cinder was someone who came out of the womb charming everyone around her. Winter knows that Levana didn't traditionally propose to her father because it was more of a persuasion into him marrying her, but sometimes Winter considers Cinder - or Selene Blackburn at the time - as the engagement ring that really brought them together.

"I bought you something," Winter says.

Almost immediately, Cinder rises from her slumber and swats away the hair in her face to look at her cousin. Maybe the gift would distract her from the fact that it's way too early in Cinder terms to be awake.

"What is it?" Cinder asks, looking at the box.

"An outfit," Winter responds.

Cinder groans as she falls back into the pillow. She doesn't like it when Winter or Levana buy her clothes since they don't fully understand her style. She likes baggy, comfortable, practical, and minimalistic clothes and not the tight and fancy clothes Winter and Levana prefer. And as Winter unwraps the box, the crinkle of the tissue paper gives Cinder unwanted flashbacks of being in a shopping mall.

"Wait till you see this," Winter says as she takes the gift out and throws the box on the floor.

Cinder turns over just to take a peek at what Winter bought and she rises back up again in pure shock at what she has. They're full length, dark denim overalls with a square neckline and adjustable buckle straps. Right below the neckline is a zippered pocket and at the snug waist were two more pockets that were deep and not just decorations.

"Holy spades..." Cinder mutters. She takes them into her hands and smells them, never having appreciated the smell of new clothes until now. "These are beautiful."

"Real queens fix each other's crowns," Winter beams, beyond happy that Cinder likes something she bought for her for once.

Cinder glances at the tag. "But have you seen the price of this?"

Winter tears it off and throws it over her shoulder. "Have you seen our Blackburn bank accounts? Besides, your life is a perpetual style emergency. So much money, so little chic."

Cinder rolls her eyes even though she actually loves these overalls. "I can so wear these to work after school."

"No!" Winter exclaims, taking them back. "You're going to get them all stained."

Cinder takes her overalls back. "It's a mechanic aesthetic."

"Does it match your messy bed?"

Ever since they were little, Cinder never believed in making her bed. Her philosophy went along the lines of if she's going to mess it up later, then might as well leave it a mess. Most of the time, the cleaning lady would make it when she would come by.

"Yes. How would it look?"

"Intimidatingly aesthetic."

Cinder smirks. "Perfect. It'll match the white sneakers I basically live in."

With that in mind, Winter pictures Cinder's mechanic aesthetic - the slightly messy overalls with the solid white sneakers she practically lives in, and her abstract ponytail - and Winter finds herself liking it better than any trend that was ever in style.

"In that case, I'm surprised a decent idea came out of your mouth," Winter compliments.

-o-

When her alarm starts blaring, Scarlet's eyes burst open. She struggles to find her phone in the dark and when her hands slap against her nightstand to find it, she hears it fall on the floor. Scarlet groans as she stretches over the edge and picks up her phone. The bright light from the screen blinds her as she turns off her alarm and unplugs her phone from the charger.

Scarlet gets out of bed, throwing her sheets off of her. She makes her way towards her window and opening the curtains, being blinded again by a bright light.

She turns around to her bed and her eyes nearly bulge out of her head when she sees that her bed currently looks like a small murder scene. She looks down at herself and for the first time, she smiles. Never in her life has she been so happy about seeing her period arrive.

This was the confirmation she needed to make sure that she wasn't pregnant: the arrival of Aunt Flo.

Feeling giddy all of a sudden, Scarlet rips her stained bedsheets from her bed and throws them in the hamper, planning to deal with them after school. She throws her soiled pajamas in there as well before heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

She steps out and dries off, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated as she puts on her school uniform, tames her hair, brushes her teeth, and makes her face look presentable. Now, her life feels like it was falling back in place.

Scarlet grabs her backpack and shoves all her homework in it. Did she actually do it, no, but she took it out which was the most she's done in a week. For a moment, she almost forgot to get some breakfast but figures that she'll eat at school or Cress'll have a muffin she won't be hungry for.

She steps out of the house, yelling a goodbye for her Grandmère on her way out. Before she could lock the door, she sees the mailbox full from mail that was probably there for days. She leafs through them, stepping back inside to put them on the table by the doorway for her Grandmère to see and take a better look at (or better yet, trash them). Then, she sees a letter with her name on it and steps right outside again.

She notices all the stamps on the envelope: slightly frayed ones from areas of The European Federation and newer ones from The Earthen Union. Her eyes go towards the sender's address in the corner and her body tenses up.

 _'Avez-vous reçu la lettre?'_

Scarlet takes a breath as she heads over to her car and slumps down in her seat. She still isn't sure who sent that text but that doesn't matter now because she got her letter. She got The Scarlet Letter written by her father from a prison in France.

Why would he write to her now? Why would he write to _her_? Back when she was a child after her mom left them, her dad was always writing or talking on the phone to people, or so she thought. It was more of a lie she told herself because he was communication with the visions in his drunk delusions.

Scarlet tries to put her key in the ignition but her shaking hands fail her and she drops her keys. She pauses, suddenly unable to breathe. She curses to herself, shoving the unopened letter in her bag and getting out of the car, walking up to the sidewalk. She takes out her phone from the belt of her skirt and dials a number.

"Can you pick me up?" Scarlet asks.

 _Alpha Wolf: I sense something wrong. What is it?_

Scarlet looks down at her black combat boots which were not a part of the dress code, like her red sweatshirt. She points one of her toes as a distraction from crying but her tears start falling. Her red curls cup her face to hide it from passing cars. She didn't want to show that she was crying, but she knows that Wolf can hear it over the phone.

 _Alpha Wolf: You know what, I don't need an explanation. I'm on my way. We could even skip today if you want._

"I'm freaking out," Scarlet says, "I got my period and The Scarlet Letter and not only do I need you but I need the others."

 _Alpha Wolf: ...alright, I'll handle it. Just wait for me._

Scarlet nods even though he wouldn't know that. She hears the call end and then her phone ding with a message in the group chat with their squad.

 _Group Chat - Ex-Cadet Captain Carswell's Crew_

 _Alpha Wolf: All of you, get your aces to school as early as you can._

 _Carswell: I just woke up. I'm not dealing with those spades._

 _Alpha Wolf: You will deal with my fist if you're not the first one there._

 _Carswell: ...DON'T WORRY ABT BREAKFAST CREW! I'LL BRING BAGELS!_

* * *

 **The funny thing is that just as I was writing this chapter, I got my period.**

 ***dabs at the double meaning of this arc's title***

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Now that Scarlet received her letter, what will it say?**


	76. The Scarlet Letter: Part Six

**I have risen from the dead to update this.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Six

Sitting in a circle on the floor in Lunar Academy's student forum are Cinder, Winter, Kai, Cress, and Thorne. They all came early at Wolf's sudden request (or better yet, his order) and they're incredibly tired - except Winter. And, as promised, Thorne brought bagels and even good coffee for everyone.

"Your uniform shirt is on backwards," Cress tells Kai.

Kai stares at her for a few seconds, too exhausted to process anything before his head picees together what she said. He looks down at his uniform polo and sees that it is backwards. Kai moans as he puts his arms inside his shirt and starts maneuvering his shirt back around until the school's crescent moon logo is back on his upper chest where it should be. He pops his arms back out of the sleeves and lies back on Cinder's shoulders to start napping.

"You could've just taken your shirt right off," Winter says, biting into her bagel. "We're all friends here."

"Too much work," Kai responds sleepily.

Their eyes look up when they see Scarlet and Wolf approaching. He opens his arm and lets her sit first. Scarlet plops on the ground, not caring if her skirt flew up around her which it did. Wolf throws his bag to the side before joining her. Evidently, Scarlet's puffy eyes were noticeable since they matched the color of her hair.

"I'll have you know that I was here first, despite popular belief, and I brought bagels like promised," Thorne says just to make sure Wolf won't beat him up (especially since he was the last one here before them). He looks at Scarlet. "Oh, you've been crying. Thank the stars that I came prepared and brought chocolate spread and tissues as well."

Thorne leans forwards and gives her the bagel and chocolate spread as well as a cup of coffee and some small packets of cream and sugar in case she needed it. Scarlet takes it all in her hands and looks at the genuine expressions coming from all her friends. No matter how scared or vulnerable or far away from herself she may feel right now, her friends remind me that it's going to be okay. They make her feel safe by taking her out of the box she's made for herself and burning it up.

"Okay..." Scarlet mutters, taking a quick sip of her black coffee to wake herself up a bit. "Let's get this straight: I'm not pregnant."

"We couldn't have clarified that over text?" Thorne questions before shoving his bagel in his mouth when Wolf glares at him.

Scarlet turns over and opens her backpack, reaching inside and pulling out the unopened envelope she found this morning.

"My dad was a drunkard before I ran off and apparently the habit never left," Scarlet tells them. "My childhood friend from France, Emilie, emailed me a link and it was a news article on my father getting arrested for something."

"So," Cinder starts, "now we can add convicted drunk's daughter to the list, right under promiscuous dictator's daughter yet above blessed mayor's son."

Winter immediately gives Cinder a look that says how insensitive her comment was. Cinder shrugs because despite being blunt, it's true and it's not like Scarlet seemed to mind. She even smirked a little at their little parental ranking system.

"Why can't my dad leave me alone?" Scarlet murmurs.

"He can't," Winter responds. "He'll always be with you. I am my parents' daughter even if they're dead because they are alive through me."

Scarlet looks at Winter, the girl she knows as someone who has glitter flowing through her veins and the stars that dilate from her eyes are bursted delusions. She is the product of her parents just like they all are of their own.

"Someone read this for me," Scarlet begs, holding out the letter. She makes Wolf hold it temporarily as she starts to spread chocolate on her bagel.

Nobody volunteers to read the letter, not even Wolf. Scarlet rolls her eyes. Some friends she has. They bothered to show up here but not read her letter.

"I nominate Crescent Moon Darnel," Wolf says, holding the letter right in front of her.

Cress chokes on her coffee that has been heavily diluted with milk and immediately shakes her head. If she wasn't sitting against a wall, she would've scooted out of existence, and if she was wearing the uniform sweater, then she would've hidden inside of it.

"No, no, no..." Cress mutters nervously. "I can't."

"You have to because I second the nomination," Kai says formally.

Cress winces as Wolf urges her to take the letter again. She never thought her first incident of peer pressure would be to read a letter, but hey, it couldn't have been drugs and it isn't. After taking a quick breath, Cress takes the letter from Wolf's hands. She carefully opens it to prevent tearing the envelope in its entirety. When that's done, Cress puts the envelope down on her lap and unfolds the actual letter itself. She starts to read it but stops herself.

"What is it?" Winter asks.

"It's in French," Cress says.

Scarlet whines, throwing her head back before taking the letter again. It's like the cursed stars above wanted her to be the one to read this letter. A part of her feels stupid for not realizing that a letter from France would be in French.

"Oh, mes étoiles..." Scarlet grumbles as she takes the letter and reads it.

It's tense as Scarlet reads the letter and everyone else around her stays silent. Her eyes move across the page, moving downwards with every completed line. Scarlet's breathing is slow and steady and when her eyes look back up, everyone is waiting for her to say something. She had no emotionally reaction throughout her whole reading; her face remained neutral.

"Things get better or worse depending on your point of view," Scarlet says to them. "My dad wants to talk to me and the letter ends with goodbye which means he wants to see me again. He contacts me like once every blue moon and I can't..." she gets a better look at her friends and realized who they are and their family dynamics. "Oh, spades, most of you can't even talk to your fathers anymore and here I am complaining about wanting nothing to do with mine."

"We get what you're saying," Kai says. _And he's the one whose father just died._ "You had to remove yourself from that toxic environment and now you think that talking to him again will just put you back to where you started."

Scarlet nods, folding the letter and putting it back in the envelope. She returns it in her backpack.

"Scarlet," Cinder says. _And she's the one who doesn't even know her dad._ "You may hate your dad right now but you can't hate him forever. Trust me, I felt like that towards Levana numerous times just because. It does nothing to the person you hate but it'll poison you. You can never get rid of your demons. You just bury them deep inside and the scary part is that they could just wake up in the shadows at the least expected moment so you just have to live with the fact that there's always going to a little venom in your veins."

Scarlet knows that if anyone would understand her, it would be Cinder - or better yet, the infamous Selene Blackburn. It felt like it was only yesterday that all of her secrets and her dark origins were brought to the light.

-o-

Just before the bell for the start of class rings, Scarlet slides her way into the desk next to Cress. Cress looks up from her opened notebook, tilting her head a little to rest on her hand while wondering what Scarlet wants.

"I can't believe it," Scarlet says. It seems as if she came here just to talk in general and not directly to Cress.

"What?" Cress asks.

"I have daddy issues!"

Scarlet said that way too loud. Suddenly, all of her classmates including her friends are staring right at her. She hears something about Thorne saying he wishes he put that on his story.

"...you know, Scarlet," Cress says quietly, "there are some things you should just whisper."

Scarlet shrugs impassively. "Cress, I'm going to be blunt with you so I'm sorry I'm advance if you are sensitive towards it. You don't have to answer this but I'd prefer it if you did: Why did your mom leave?"

Cress' face doesn't even budge. "I'm going to be blunt - she didn't want to be a mom."

"Same with mine." Scarlet puts a hand on Cress' shoulder. "Crescent Moon Darnel, you are my girl. We both have mommy-abandonment issues."

Cress nods slowly. She can't help but look at Scarlet differently because once she's seen how broken someone is, it's like seeing then naked - you can't look at them the same anymore.

* * *

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Scarlet finally tells Grandmère about her letter.**


	77. The Scarlet Letter: Part Seven

**HEADS UP - you are getting two updates today!**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Seven

Cinder lies splayed across the couch in the living room. Her back is on the middle cushion and her feet dangle over the edge of the armrest. This is mostly because she was still wearing her sneakers in the house after having come straight from work and having plopped straight on the couch. She didn't want to dirty the couch to piss off the cleaning lady or worse, Levana.

Cinder pulls out her phone from the chest pocket on the new overalls Winter bought her. Admittedly, she loves them and wants Winter to buy her more of the same kind to match the plethora of white sneakers she already owns. When she texted Iko about them, Cinder promised to text Iko a picture but never got around to because of school and her job. So, she figures that video calling her would suffice.

However, when she called, she saw Jacin on the other side. She does note that he still has his blue tips (and guesses that Iko had a ball with seeing those for the first time since it matched her current hair).

"You're not Iko," Cinder says.

 _Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Guess again._

Cinder would recognize that monotonous sarcastic tone anywhere, especially since it was always heightened when directed at her if it wasn't a yelled argument.

She gags at the sight of Jacin just to smite him. "Ew, gross. Where's Iko?"

 _Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: She's busy._

"Are you her secretary now? Would you like me to leave a message?"

 _Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Unfortunately, no, she's not good enough for my services and she's too busy to take any messages. Kinney and I are on alternating shifts._

Before Cinder could ask what they were alternating, Jacin turns the camera around and Cinder sees a brawl happening in the courtyard of Andromeda Academy. Lucky for her, Jacin was standing in the front row of a physical fight happening between Iko and some other cadet she couldn't recognize. They seemed to be clawing at each other while poor Kinney was trying to pry Iko off of the other girl and some other cadet doing the same to the other fighter.

"Should I ask?" Cinder questions, curious on the origins of that fight.

 _Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Do you care?_

"I'm going to say no and you're going to call me a cyborg."

 _Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: When you play along with my robot jokes, they lose meaning._

"That implies that they had meaning."

 _Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Okay, you win that one._

Cinder cheers to herself. Then, she watches as Kinney runs up to Jacin and taps his arm while panting heavily. Jacin tries to push him off but Kinney holds on to him for dear life.

 _Please Help Kinney: Your turn!_

 _Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Aces, no! I'm on the phone. This isn't a tag-team!_

 _Please Help Kinney: AND WE ARE NOT A CALL CENTER!_

Cinder watches as Kinney grabs the phone from Jacin and pushes him right into Iko's fight to try and end it before the generals come and disband it. Kinney holds the phone back up and is wary when she sees how burnt out Kinney is, struggling to catch my breath. At least she now knows what Jacin meant when he said that he and Kinney were Iko's alternating secretaries - or in this case, alternating fight-blocks.

 _Please Help Kinney: Hey, Cinder, nice outfit._

"Thanks," Cinder says, smirking. "Should I call back?"

 _Please Help Kinney: I think the administration or maybe the authorities will be here soon, so I'll keep you on the line just to witness that._

"Spectacular!" Cinder exclaims sarcastically. "I'll love watching Iko send herself and a classmate to jail. Make sure Jacin goes as well. Winter'll bail him out."

-o-

Still wearing her school uniform, Scarlet sits at the kitchen table with her backpack in front of her. She had a plan to put her mind in distraction mode by doing some homework (or lots of it since she was behind) but she just ended up lying on her backpack and taking a nap. She didn't budge until she felt a hand rest on top of her curls, not knowing or really caring how long it's been. Scarlet rises, ignoring the stiffness now in her neck from lying in that position for so long, and sees her Grandmère standing beside her.

"Scarlet, ça va?" She asks.

Scarlet stretches a little to loosen her body. "Ça va, just thinking."

"You know, if you and your hunky boyfriend are sexually active, you could tell me. I don't remember giving you the talk."

Scarlet immediately cringes. "Grandmère, s'il vous plaît!"

Grandmère snickers to herself, running a quick hand thought Scarlet's curls before turning her back to her and getting some hot water from the kettle. Scarlet opens her backpack and her heart stops when she sees the letter there. For a moment, she forgot the letter even existed and what a blessed moment that was, but if there was someone who was the best to tell about it, she was right in front of her.

"Grandmère..." Scarlet starts as she turns around in her chair to face her. "Mon père m'a envoyé une lettre."

Grandmère stops what she's doing, putting down the kettle. She turns to approach Scarlet who already stood up, holding the letter out. Grandmère takes it out of the envelope and unfolds it, reading each word carefully. Scarlet watches her tensely, playing the buttons on the collar of her uniform shirt.

"Well then..." Grandmère mutters as she puts the letter down.

Her Grandmère's light tone proves she's surprised that her son got arrested but yet, it has that tinge that says that she saw this coming. She sighs and her emotions shine on her face: wistful regret with veins of deep sadness. Scarlet looks away.

Words can be more lethal than blades. It was like her mind couldn't accept what was happening so it kept on defaulting to what she claimed as ordinary - her mom left, her dad became drunk, she ran to a different country.

-o-

Meanwhile, Wolf comes home from his shift at the gym. He closes his door and almost jumps a little when his mom comes running up to him, grabbing his arms excitedly. All Wolf wonders is what the stars she's been up to or what the stars happened all while he was not home.

"Ze'ev!" His mom almost screams. "Your girlfriend is here and my oh my stars, she is beautiful. That just proves my theory that mixed children are always gorgeous, no matter the combination, just like that mechanic friend of yours."

Even with that explanation, Wolf still has no clue what is going on.

"Scarlet isn't mixed," is all Wolf says to her.

Instantly, Maha stops what she was saying. Still, she doesn't regret any of it. "...well, some beautiful mixed girl is here to see you."

Wolf walks further into the house with his mom following close behind him. He enters the living room and sees Winter looking up from her phone. She smiles brightly at him.

"Ma, that's Winter," Wolf tells her.

"Oh, _that's_ Winter," she says, "the Lunar one with the mechanic cousin. Now, I remember you telling me about her. She's a pretty one too." She goes closer to Winter. "You can always come to me if you need some mothering. Just ask Ze'ev, I'm a natural."

Maha winks at the two of them. Winter gladly accepts the offer before Maha leaves them be. Wolf awkwardly stands there, wondering what would've happened if he didn't come here straight after work. But even after experiencing the last few minutes, he still has no idea what exactly happened.

"Your mom is so sweet," Winter comments.

"What are you doing here?" Wolf asks her.

Winter puts her phone in her back pocket. "Your mom is more welcoming than you. And more cheery. You are not like that at all."

"Agreed."

"I need your opinion on something."

"We couldn't have done that over the phone?"

Winter shakes her head. "I needed your opinion in person."

Wolf lets Winter continue whatever it was she had planned. She digs into her small purse and pulls out a few cylindrical tubes. He has no idea what they are even when he reads the labels that say 'mascara'. All he really knows about mascara is that it's a makeup thing that goes on your face, that's it.

"Have you ever worn makeup before?" Winter asks.

"No," he replies. And then he thinks about her wanting to do this opinion-asking in person. "And I'm not wearing it!"

Winter smirks a little. "Makeup is universal, in my opinion, because everyone has a face. But, you're hot on your own so I can imagine you not needing it."

"Then, why do you wear it?"

"To emphasize certain aspects."

Winter points at the scars underneath her eyes with the mascara wand. Her new and updated makeup routine consisted of putting highlighter on her scars, mascara, and something not too showy on her lips (unless it was for a special occasion). There was concealer every now and then, but not much of it often.

"So," Winter says, "I just got these mascaras from the internet and they all had generally good reviews, but I'm just not sure which one to choose."

Wolf has so many questions to ask about that statement, but he picks this one first: "Why are you asking _me_ for my opinion?"

"I'm getting a general consensus."

Wolf lightly rolls his eyes. He glances at all the tubes and picks one at random. Actually, it wasn't all that random because he picked by appearance. Winter smiles as she nods her head in agreement.

"Do you want the other two?" Winter asks.

"No," Wolf responds, "why would I?"

"As a birthday gift for Scarlet."

Wolf actually considers that option.

* * *

 **(I may have gone back in 2019 and changed that last past)**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Scarlet tries to figure out what to do about the letter while Grandmère lays out her options.**


	78. The Scarlet Letter: Part Eight

**This chapter is short but I feel like I owe you a second update since I didn't update a while back and this arc is almost done.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Eight

Right after school for them, Kai, Cress, and Thorne went to a pizza parlor. The three of them were all hungry with no plans and while debating what to eat, they said pizza in unison and now, they were here.

Kai and Thorne are sitting in a booth as Cress orders. They let her pick the toppings since she was a bit of a picky eater and they were so hungry that they would eat anything (even the table if Cress didn't hurry up). After a bit, Cress comes back with two boxes of pizza that shockingly didn't topple in her tiny arms.

"You're very light," Thorne tells her as she puts the pizzas on the table and takes her seat next to him in the booth. "Do you have a calcium deficiency?"

"My calcium is fine," Cress responds.

"Your muscle tone is poor as well."

Cress gives him a dirty look and he nudges her playfully. She breaks into a grin as she crosses her legs in the booth.

"Pizza has cheese which has calcium in it," Kai says.

Thorne points at him, nodding. "Look at us being healthy!"

Healthy meaning having two pizzas in front of them. Were they going to be able to finish all that pizza? Possibly. Well, mostly the boys would since Cress was tiny and didn't eat a lot in general. Still, she liked to eat when she was hungry. People who love to eat are the best kind of people.

Cress takes a sniff of her warm sleeves. "I smell like pizza now."

Thorne takes her arm and inhales a whiff of it. "Not complaining at all."

"What kind of pizza is it?" Kai asks, opening one box and being greeted by steam.

"That one is half deluxe, half veggie," Cress says. She opens the other box. "The other is half pepperoni and olives, half pineapple."

Cress looks at Thorne and Kai for a reaction since she tried her absolute best to cater to their tastes and she believes that she did a good job at doing so, but their faces are just stunned. Forget about them being hungry enough to eat anything, there was one topping they didn't want to go near.

"I'm sorry, pineapple?" Kai questions even though he heard her well.

"Yeah," Cress replies casually.

"It's like you brought the sun with the pizzas, but now it's setting real hard with the pineapple."

"I like pineapple."

Cress politely tears a piece and takes a bite in it. Kai and Thorne just stare at her as if every new bite she took and stayed alive after was a miracle. Even as her boyfriend, Thorne finds her liking to pineapple one flaw about Cress.

"It's good," Cress tells them.

"Doubt it," Thorne states.

"When in doubt, ask yourself what Cinder would do." Cress puts down the slice she was working on. She grabs a napkin and dabs at the corners of her mouth. "Cinder likes pineapple on pizza."

 _As if the boys already didn't find Cinder weird._ Again, the oddity. Maybe pineapple was a Lunar thing, a delectable Lunar delicacy. It could be Luna's national food for all they know. If Wolf and Winter like pineapple on pizza, then it was definitely a Lunar thing.

Their thoughts of the correlation between Lunars and the love of pineapple on pizza is distracted when they notice that the television in the corner is blasting the news, specifically about the municipal elections that were coming up ever since Mayor Rikan passed.

Kai looks away and slumps in his seat. Anything about his dad still saddens him. Cress takes Kai's hand and squeezes it as tight as her apparent poor muscle tone could, as Thorne signals the waiter behind the desk to lower the volume of the television or turn it off. Then, Thorne looks over at Kai.

"You should run," Thorne says. His tone could either be serious or joking, nobody could tell. Even Thorne doesn't know.

"I'm fit enough," Kai replies with a small smile on his face.

"You are," Cress agrees, "despite looking kind of lanky."

"I'm as strong as a wire."

"You have my vote for mayor," Thorne tells him. "Even if you don't run, I'm going to write you in. Your first task should be to get rid of pineapple on pizza."

"Done!" Kai exclaims.

"No!" Cress objects.

-o-

Scarlet and Grandmère stand together in the kitchen, making soup for their dinner tonight. Scarlet was in charge of chopping all the vegetables and her Grandmère was handling the boiling pot of broth. Despite them needing to talk about the letter and her father with his arrest, they needed to make food.

"He got arrested, Scarlet," Grandmère says. "C'est vraiment sérieux."

"And what am I supposed to do?" Scarlet asks rhetorically. "Perform an elaborate prison breakout mission for him? I kind of have school even though prison breaks are better than homework."

Grandmère huffs as she rolls her eyes. "Write him back."

Scarlet gives out a short obnoxious laugh. "Stars, no. I'd rather do the prison breakout mission."

"You're his daughter."

"I don't care."

"S'il vous plaît."

"All he wants is my sympathy and pity." She pushes the chopped carrots to the side with the knife before starting to chop up a new one. "He's trying to play the father role and dig into my emotions just to get some bail money. The more you convince me to play along, the more I might just cave in and do it."

"You're overthinking this. Did you even read his letter? He didn't say spades about bail money and besides, you would be the last person he'd get money from. You're his daughter. All of what you're saying is in your head."

"It's not in my head, it's in-between the lines or in his case, in between the prison bars. Why would he contact me after all this time? He may be bored out of his mind in prison but he certainly has better things to do than write me."

Grandmère slams the counter and Scarlet jumps back. Since that scared her and she was holding a knife when it occurred, she accidentally nicked the tip of her pinky. Scarlet curses to herself as she grabs a fresh towel to cover her slightly bleeding wound before trashing the carrots that may now be contaminated.

"That man isn't just some stranger, Scarlet," Grandmère says, calming down a little. "Il est mon fils. I carried that boy, birthed him, and then he created you. You have no right to judge him, especially since he wrote to _you_ and not me."

Scarlet is speechless. Grandmère looks at her as Scarlet plays with the towel wrapped around her pinky. Scarlet didn't even think about the fact that her father wrote her and not his own mother.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Grandmère asks.

"You always tell the truth," Scarlet replies. "That's a part of the problem."

"Comment?"

"Because I don't always want it."

Grandmère sighs before turning back to the stove. "Look, Scarlet, this may be bad or perfect timing but I'm going out of town in two days so that'll give you some time to think about this. You'll be alone, without my opinions on what you should do with your father's imprisonment and whatever his letter may mean. Ask your friends if you want."

Scarlet nods as she excuses herself to get a bandaid for her pinky. A part of her believes her friends will say to write him because she still has a father unlike the majority of them, which is why she doesn't want to tell them at all. She told them enough and didn't want to feel like a total burden.

She can't move on but move forward. And since she can't run away from her problem, she might as well run over it repeatedly until it's deep underground like a coffin.

* * *

 **PINEAPPLE BELONGS ON PIZZA COME FIGHT ME!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Will life for Scarlet be able to go back to normal after this?**


	79. The Scarlet Letter: Part Nine

**There will be another double update today mostly because I only have two chapters left.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Nine

The group sits in class the next morning at Lunar Academy. Their teacher stands at the front with a stack of papers in her hands, handing them out to different students all depending on whose name is on the paper since she is distributing the geography tests they wrote a few days ago. With all the real life that hit them recently, they literally forgot they wrote those tests, despite how much fun they had during the test.

"Excellent job, Crescent," the teacher says as she puts her test on her desk.

Cress picks up her test and smiles at her mark. Her friends give her (jealous) glares since she slept when she finished her test and she still got the best mark out of all of them.

Winter receives her test and claps to herself, happy with her result. Cinder is satisfied with hers as is Kai. Wolf kind of just shoves his into his backpack without looking at it. Did he do well, did he fail? He'll never know and he really doesn't care.

"Is Scarlet Benoit coming?" The teacher asks.

They all shake their heads and the teacher puts her test at the bottom of the pile before continuing to distribute. Scarlet texted them all in the group chat about staying home to take her Grandmère out-of-town before coming back on her own.

Thorne receives his test without one look from the teacher. When Thorne sees the perfect score circles at the top of his paper, he's a little bit amazed, stunned, especially since he doesn't remember writing the essay at all. Maybe the stars blessed him with the right answers and an essay. Maybe factoring the map actually got him bonus marks...until he realizes that it's not his test that's in his hands. Thorne groans to himself as he gives the test to the right person and the teacher puts his failed one on his desk.

Even though he saw that coming, it still hurts. He just hates studying because he has better things to do like actually enjoy life. The only science he does is his chemistry with girls (pre-Cress); the only math he does is calculating his dates with girls (again, pre-Cress); and the only geography he does is finding out places to take out the girl he has chemistry with after doing calculations on dates (again, pre-Cress).

Basically, Thorne has reached that point where the teacher's voice became white noise.

"Maybe growing up means disappointing the people we love," Thorne says about his failed test.

"And who are you disappointing?" Kai asks.

"Myself."

-o-

At lunch, they all sit in the cafeteria, staring at the food they bought from there but not eating it. It's not that the food was bad since they could tell that the hamburger was a hamburger, it was just bland and the lettuce was wilted. That statement applied to basically everything the cafeteria had to offer.

"Lucky Scarlet isn't here," Cinder mutters, pushing her burger away from her. At least she was somewhere with edible food.

"Can we go out and get real food?" Winter asks.

Wolf glances at the time on his phone and does some mental math the see how much time it would take for them to drive somewhere, buy food, and get back in time for class. There were variables such as traffic and lineups since it was lunch hour for not only them but the entire city of Commonwealth, but he didn't really care if he was late for class. The others, maybe.

"We could make it," Wolf says hopefully.

They all get up, leaving behind their burgers and heading out to the student parking lot. Before they make their trek towards the cars, they stop. There were four cars in question - Cinder's (since she and Winter carpool), Kai's, Thorne's, and Wolf's. Cress knows how to drive but doesn't have a car.

"Why have we never carpooled before?" Kai asks rhetorically because of all their cars.

"Whose car is big enough?" Winter asks because they're six in a situation where they only have five-seater cars on them.

"Cress can go on my lap," Thorne suggests, wrapping his arm around Cress' waist.

"Or you could go on the floor," Cinder suggests, unlocking her car with her keys before throwing them over her shoulder for Winter.

They all head over to Cinder's car. Winter takes the driver's seat since Cinder threw her the keys and starts the engine and because it was Cinder's car, she got to sit shotgun. That left Thorne, Kai, Wolf, and Cress for the backseat. By default, Cress went in the middle because she's the smallest. It was left to the boys to decide who sits where.

"Screw both of you," Wolf says, sitting down beside Cress and closing his door.

That left Kai and Thorne to decide who gets the last seat and who gets the floor. Being the bigger person, Cinder gets out of her shotgun seat and is run over by Thorne who takes her seat and slams the door. Cinder so saw that coming which is partially why she did it. She looks at Kai and offers him the last seat which, unlike Thorne, he refuses like a gentleman.

"I insist," Cinder says, "it's my car thus my floor."

Winter honks the horn. "Will you both take a seat already?! I'm hungry!"

After Cinder's kick to his behind, Kai ends up in the seat and Cinder on the floor. She crawls in and Kai closes the door behind her. Winter starts driving as Cinder shifts her position. She sits with her back on Wolf's side of the car seat and puts her feet on Kai's lap. She so planned this.

"I'm begging no cop stops us..." Winter prays for as she pulls out of the school parking lot.

-o-

They made it back to school on time with no cop interruptions on the way. When they walk back into school with their takeout bags and takeout cups, they see the principal coming towards them. Now in their eyes, they did nothing wrong since students did have a right to leave school property for lunch just as long as they came back in time, which they did.

"And what are your situations?" He asks.

For a moment, they think that they're actually late for class but it's not that. They still had plenty of time to lap around the entire school if they wanted to. The principal was referring to the following non-uniform items in sight: Wolf's leather jacket, Cinder's white sneakers, and Winter's oversized jean jacket with random iron on patches.

"We just got inside," Wolf replies bluntly and honestly.

"From lunch," Cinder adds.

"And we're heading to our lockers," Winter ends with.

"But you are now inside the school so you must obey the dress code."

The principal exits and the group just watches them go. Sure, there were dress code rules that had to be followed but in all realness, they took maybe three steps in the school from outdoors.

Cinder marches loudly on purpose to show that she couldn't care less about the rules. "They're supposed to be black running shoes but I don't run in them so much that they turn black from the ground so screw him."

Wolf keeps his jacket on. "If anyone harms my leather, I'm killing them. He could've ripped it off of us if he wanted to but that's a lawsuit that will ruin his precious suit."

"And Levana will suffocate him with our own damned lawsuit."

"If he rips my jacket, you can rip him for me," Winter says. "I'd rather get suspended because at least I can wear whatever I want from the comfort of my own home."

They figured that Winter had a point there. Why bother with a lawsuit when they could just be forced to not go to school? That was anybody's dream at this point in time.

"How does Scarlet get away with wearing her red sweatshirt here?" Thorne asks. "Does it like blend in with her curls or something?"

"She starts taking it off when teachers pass her in the hallways but once she's behind them, she puts it back on," Kai explains.

Cress laughs a little. "She really picked a good day to not show up."

* * *

 **This was probably the most mundane chapter in this whole story so far. That stuff with the dress code has actually happened to me. Like those were the real conversations in it.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Why was Scarlet really absent that day?**


	80. The Scarlet Letter: Part Ten

**This is the final chapter of not only Scarlet's arc but season one! Before you start, yes, there will be a season two. More on that will be at the end.**

* * *

The Scarlet Letter: Part Ten

Scarlet texted her friends saying that she wasn't going to school today because she had to take her Grandmère out of town.

The thing is, Grandmère left town alone early that morning.

Scarlet didn't go with her.

She planned to go to school but didn't.

Scarlet's been sitting at home all day.

-o-

Scarlet's morning started the same as it always does: she woke up, freshened up, put on her school uniform, and made her way into the kitchen to see if there was anything she could grab for breakfast.

The only thing that's different is her Grandmère's suitcase at the door. Scarlet takes a granola bar from the cupboard and opens it, taking a bite. That's when it hits her that Grandmère was going out of town for a bit. Scarlet didn't really know why, though. All she understood was that it was some old lady get-together, despite Grandmère believing that she was in the prime of her youth.

"Au revoir, Scarlet," Grandmère says, kissing Scarlet's cheek.

"Au revoir," Scarlet says, helping her Grandmère with her suitcase.

She waves off the car and once it's too far from her sight, she gets back in the house and closes the door. Scarlet heads to her bedroom and gathers her school books which didn't actually take that long since she didn't even take them out to behind with (so much for trying to catch up on homework).

Her head perks up when she hears the doorbell ring. Scarlet runs over, thinking it's Grandmère but when she looks through the peephole, she sees a random man there. Scarlet backs away for a second. If she has to fight, she has her fist. Scarlet takes another precaution and opens the upper half of the Dutch door to see who this is what he wants.

It's the mailman but what Scarlet finds odd is that the mailman knocked.

"Miss. Scarlet Benoit?" He asks.

Scarlet hesitates before nodding.

"A letter came for you but I'm going to have to see a piece of identification before handing it over."

Scarlet quickly excuses herself as she runs back in the house. She finds her school bag and unzips the small pocket, opening her wallet as she makes her way back to the front door. She isn't sure why she has to show some ID for a letter but once it's in her hands, she'll find out.

"Here," Scarlet says, handing over her Lunar Academy school ID card.

"Something with your address," he orders.

Scarlet swaps her school ID for her driver's license. The mailman cross-references the address on her license with the one on the envelope and the house he's currently at. Scarlet wipes her sweating palms on her uniform skirt as she watches the mailman hand back her license and gives her a clipboard.

"Sign here to confirm you got the letter," he says, pointing at a blank line at the bottom of the page with the top of the pen.

Scarlet clicks the pen open and swiftly signs it. She hands it back in exchange for the letter and bids the mailman a good day before closing the door again. She holds the envelope in her hands, ready to brace another letter from her father since who else would send her a letter, especially after he just mailed one to her - but it's not from him.

It's from the French government. _Le gouvernment du France_. But why did she have to sign for it and why did she even receive something from there? She hasn't been to France in literally a decade and is surprised her French is still fluent inside of her.

Scarlet opens it and reads it, the further down the sheet she goes, the number her body starts to feel. She understands the letter, but her brain doesn't want to process it. Her chest tightens, tenses, feeling like it's going to explode.

She takes her phone out and goes onto the group chat with her friends, ignoring the stream of unread messages and starts composing a new one.

 _Group Chat -_ _Ex-Cadet Captain Carswell's Crew_

 _Scarlet: Won't be at school today. Had to take Grandmère out of town._

 _Scarlet: Will be back soon._

She said soon because saying tomorrow would be a lie.

She ditches her phone on the table by the door before anyone could answer and runs to her room with the letter scrunched up in her hand. It was a lie, she knows, but it was more comforting than the truth. It's not like any of her friends were going to question her and if they did, Scarlet would either come up with a different lie or leave it all on read. Scarlet tears off her uniform as quickly and harshly as she could, changing into the comfort of her red sweatshirt and worn-out jeans.

She's panting heavily. Maybe she read the letter wrong. Maybe the whole ID and signing process spooked her out and she was picturing the worse on paper.

Scarlet picks up the letter that she threw on her bed whilst changing. She straightens it out and rereads it only to find out that what she read the first time was all true. Her panting turns into shaking, causing tears to start falling from her eyes and her lip to quiver. A howl tears free from her chest, grief and rage quake through her. It's hard to be disappointed when what you expected turns out to be true.

-o-

Moments pass and Scarlet finds herself sitting on the floor in the hallways with a half-empty bottle of vodka by her side. The other half was whirling inside of her. She didn't care what time it was or if society deemed it to be _too early_ to drink. Clearly, they haven't had the morning she's had. She is her own priority. She chooses herself every single time. If she wants to drink to drown her thoughts, that's what she'll do. Besides, this problems started long before she could really, _really_ see it.

Her head sways side-to-side and she realizes that she has a higher alcohol tolerance than she thought. Maybe it ran in the family. That's what her father did, right? Drink himself into a different reality to escape his issues? That's how she understood it when she was a child. To think that her father was the last person she ever wanted to be and now look at her - in a position he was in so many times ever since her mom left. The irony is so strong that the iron itself will soon rust and tear.

She remembers Cinder's words from a while ago - _"You can never get rid of your demons. You just bury them deep inside and the scary part is that they could just wake up in the shadows at the least expected moment so you just have to live with the fact that there's always going to a little venom in your veins."_

She side-glances at her reflection in the vodka bottle, parts of her face distorted by the waves in the liquid. She's raw, swollen, and red with tears - or maybe that's her curls or her sweatshirt, she isn't quite sure and the technicalities will only give her a headache if she thinks about it too much. All that matters is that the reflection on the bottle shows what she is: that whatever she does or wherever she goes, her parents can never be separated from her. The words in the letter showed her what she could be - the daughter she was ordered to be.

That's the thing about negativity and alcohol combined - it gives her an uncontrollable control and makes her ugly in one swish.

Her father wins with that second letter even if he didn't send it. _He wins._ The most unexpected thing can be the key to victory and he wears that proudly. Even if she bothered to reply to his first letter, it wouldn't have made a difference since the second one would've come knocking.

Maybe, she never went crazy after all her childhood traumas simply because she's always been crazy?

That was definitely the vodka talking. All of this was the vodka making sense of things for her.

She tries to stand, using the wall to help her and walks for a bit with the neck of the bottle in her hand, stopping at the doorway of her bedroom once again. She tugs at one of the curls on her head with her free hand, straightening it before releasing it and letting it coil again. She feels lost in her own memories. Bad ones. _Was this how Winter felt before she left Artemisia? Probably, because this is how Scarlet probably felt the day she left France._

That's it. That's what she has to do.

Scarlet feels the need to get out of here so she acts on it. She downs the rest of the vodka in one go and drops the empty bottle on her bed. There was nothing she wanted to do more than leave but at the same time, she wants to be unconscious, just to be out of the loop from all this. Scarlet can't help the way she was born. She can't help what she is but only the life she picks for herself and this is what she wants (needs or has) to do.

She pulls out her empty suitcase from her closet, opens it, and drops both the letter she got from her father and the letter from the French government in before piling more clothes on top.

Besides, what the stars was she going to do from here? Nobody's promised a tomorrow. Nobody's also here. She's alone. She could do whatever she wants. _Nobody could stop her._

 _That was all the adrenaline she needed to leave France all those years ago. Who would've thought it'd come back to haunt her in the form of a letter?_

* * *

 **And that concludes season one (with possibly the worst cliffhanger yet).**

 **Before you start, I would love to thank all the readers who have made it this far. You guys are the absolute best.**

 **I'm just going to put it out there: I am going on a hiatus. THIS STORY WILL BE CONTINUED! I still have to plan all of season two, look at my other stories on my other platforms, and most important, I am starting university.**

 **I don't know when I'll be back or when season two will be out but just know that the moment I start writing, I probably won't stop.**


	81. A Study in Scarlet: Part One

**I am back (for now-ish)!**

 **I know it took a while but aside from university, this season was actually so hard to plan because a lot happens. I am actually almost done planning it (on the second-last arc right now, as we speak). This season will be exciting for so many reasons to come. As for right now, go take a glimpse of the last chapter just to get a refresher of the dreaded cliffhanger I left you all with.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part One

 _Ten years ago, a little-redheaded girl from Paris, France, The European Federation left the country for the first time. She was all on her own with nobody knowing that she left and was arriving. She was a seven-year-old girl who barely knew English and was now standing in the English-dominant state of Commonwealth in The Earthen Union._

 _It was raining when she left France so she was wearing her bright yellow raincoat and matching yellow rainboots. The hood has been on her head the whole time, even on the plane. She didn't want people to look at her and ask questions. All that people got to see if they tried to peep under the hood was her immense mess of red curls that were bigger than her head._

 _She stood in Commonwealth's airport with her backpack on her back. Anything she could fit in that backpack was all she brought. Everything else was considered useless. You'd think that by the amount she packed, she was going back to Paris the same day but no, she was never going back._

 _At least, that's what she told herself._

 _She wasn't quite sure what was going to happen next._

 _Standing in the middle of Commonwealth's airport with no idea of what to do next made her think about jumping back on the plane, but she remembered the reason why she ran away and considered herself to be safer in the unknown than at home with her father. Did he even notice that she was gone or was he still unconscious from all the drinking? He was when she left so maybe he still is. Or maybe his drinking caused him to hallucinate and he was busy arguing with a vision of her absent mother._

 _She starts her walk across the airport, unsure of where to go now. Her rubber boots squeak against the tiled floor so she slows down her paces. She doesn't want to be caught by the scary looking men in official airport uniforms. If they see and question her, she could get sent back to where she came from which she doesn't want._

 _But she's smart about her moves. That was how she was able to get away with leaving Paris at the start._

 _Other people who would pass her were always in a rush so she was able to hide behind their bigger bodies and suitcases. She would head the same direction to blend in with the crowd. When the flight attendant on the plane asked where she was going, she said she was heading to Commonwealth to visit her Grandmère. It wasn't a lie, per se, but she was grateful they didn't do a background check on that story and called her Grandmère to see if she was expecting her granddaughter. Maybe it was the freckles that got her off the hook for cuteness points. Why would a little child ever lie, they probably thought._

 _But in Commonwealth, she was on strange territory and did not understand how the world worked here. Maybe lying children was the norm. Maybe freckles couldn't let you bypass anything._

 _Maybe she should've stayed in France..._

 _She was at a disadvantage due to language, but as her brown eyes looked around the airport, her eyes landed on a young couple walking to the other side of the airport. What stood out for her was that the young couple consisted of a brunette woman and a redheaded man. She made her way over to them, walking close enough that ongoing strangers would assume she was their daughter but far enough so if the couple were to turn around, they would think that she was just going the same way as them._

 _The moment she spotted the exit doors, she abandoned the couple and ran out. The automatic doors opened and she stepped outside, removing the hood of her raincoat and allowing her unruly curls to bounce out._

 _She got her first glimpse of Commonwealth and knew that she really needed to work on her English._

-o-

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

In the French airport, Scarlet stands at the luggage carousel, standing impatiently as she waits for her suitcase to come around. The hood of her red sweatshirt covers the top of her head as sunglasses rest on the bridge of her nose, covering her eyes. Her combat boots tap restlessly from one to the other as she waits for her stupid suitcase to come around. She thinks that she should've brought a backpack. If it worked for her seven-year-old self a decade ago, it should work for her today.

Finally, her suitcase comes around and she grabs it in an instant. Back in Commonwealth, she argued that it was small enough to be a carry-on but the airport didn't allow it. Scarlet just let it be since she wasn't in the mood to complain over something as small as luggage size.

Right now, Scarlet turns on the heel of her combat boot and bolts straight for the exit. Her feet stomp against the shiny floor as she side-steps people in her way. She walks so fast that her suitcase dragging behind her looked like it was flying. She looks around at everyone to see if anyone was staring, but everyone around her was minding their own business. No one spots her - not that she expected anyone to - but her skin crawls as she keeps her head down because she feels as if she's being watched. (Maybe that was why she was dressed as if she was hiding).

Is she insane? Maybe, because she currently feels as if she has to whatever sanity she has left with both of her hands. But if asked, she would say she's angry at that stupid letter that came for her in the mail which resulted in her coming back. Life just testing her whether on whether she's weak and strong and right now, Scarlet may look tough but she is terrified. It's better for her to see life as it is, not as she wishes for it to be. Things don't happen for a reason. They just happen and that was the worst thing she had to come to terms with as a child: that nothing about her family was normal. She can't recall a time when she was a part of it and that nothing would ever change.

Scarlet walks through the opened automatic doors and looks forwards at Paris. For some reason, it looks the same and different, despite her last time here being a decade ago. Instantly, she hears all the French and feels overwhelmed.

Sometimes, her conversations with her Grandmère had a few French statements, but there was a difference between that French and France French. The French with her Grandmère was diluted and this French was raw and organic. _It was natural._ As Scarlet started to speak more English in Commonwealth, she feared that she lost her French accent. Her French in Commonwealth was basically just French words with her English accent. It sounded as if French was her second language which she hated.

Then, there was the smell of nostalgia. It almost brought her back to when she ran away from France as a little girl. The cigarette smoke mixed with various colognes and exhaust fumes from cars was pleasant to her. If there was alcohol in the air as well, it would've reminded her of the home she ran away from which she didn't want. Luckily, there was no drinking anywhere nearby except the airport bar which was too far for her senses to pick up.

She loves her country. She loves France. Being French was as much a part of her as breathing was. But right now, under her current circumstances, it feels like a nightmare she can't wake up from because it was real. Her whole body screams from tiredness but she can't put herself to sleep - not now, at least.

"Oh, mes étoiles…" She mutters as she raises her hand in the air to call for a cab.

Moments later, a cab pulls up and Scarlet gets in the backseat with her suitcase. The cab driver turns around to look at her.

"Où aller?" He asks her.

Scarlet exhales. Unlike a decade ago, she has no idea where she's going.

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Meanwhile, back in Commonwealth, municipal elections are up and running. After the sudden loss of Mayor Rikan, there was a brief interim period where Torin was the acting leader with Levana by his side since they were both Rikan's top aides. Now, election season is officially back and Torin was on the ballot to finish up what Mayor Rikan intended on doing for the city. Also, Kai wears sunglasses wherever he goes because there have been many instances where reporters would approach him and ask for his opinion on Torin's campaign and/or the opposition.

Kai walks into school with his shades on. He doesn't remove them even though everyone knows it's him nor do they care about asking him any political questions. Sometimes, he forgets he's wearing them.

"You look stupid," Cinder says as she rips them off.

"I thought I looked like a badass," Kai says, raising his chest a little.

"You were wearing them to hide," Cinder says with a small cringe in her voice. "What's so badass about that? You looked more like a bad ass rather than a badass."

Kai glares at her. He walks into class instead of answering her question. Cinder laughs to herself as she makes it to her desk. She looks over at her friends and sees them all on their phones. She leaves them alone as she slides into her desk, throwing her backpack on the floor as their teacher approaches them.

"You students are close with Scarlet Benoit," she says as if it's a question she already knows the answer to. Cinder, Cress, Kai, Thorne, Wolf, and Winter all look up from their phones and nod at her. "Do you know where she is?"

Their reactions are a mix of shrugs and head shaking. What they know is that Scarlet went out-of-town to drop her Grandmère somewhere. That was two days ago. From that point on, Scarlet was not answering any of their calls or messages - in their group chat or private chats. Their only assumption is that there's no service wherever she went, but that was a stretch since even the messages sent over WiFi were not being responded to.

The teacher nods. "Alright. I only asked because the office informed me that she hasn't been calling in her absences."

"You're supposed to do that?" Thorne asks.

The teacher can't tell if he's being sarcastic or serious because, with Thorne, it could be both and it probably was. Instead, she ignores his question and heads back to the front of the class to start. But before that, the group turns around to face each other.

"Where the stars is Scarlet?" Winter asks, primarily looking at Wolf for an answer.

"Don't look at me," Wolf says. "I know as much as you do."

"She isn't even answering _you_?" Cress asks.

Wolf shakes his head with a worried expression. They're all scared for Scarlet. The last thing that happened to her was her pregnancy scare, the letter from her father, his arrest, and now she's gone. Those events were all too serious and too close to one another in terms of time to just be another coincidence.

"Well, if she was just with her grandma, she would've told us," Cinder says. "I say we visit her house."

"Or The Rampion," Kai says. "We should split up after school."

"Alright," Wolf states. "Let's pick drivers and cars, and we'll go."

* * *

 **How was that for a first chapter back?**

 ** _I_ _MPORTANT_** **\- Please visit the poll on my page to choose the ending for the last arc of this season! Or if you want, vote in the reviews. Both will count and multiple votes are allowed!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- Scarlet arrives at where she's staying in France just as the ones back in Commonwealth try and find her.**


	82. A Study in Scarlet: Part Two

**A big thank you to all the people who have voted in the poll so far!**

 **Also, for those of you who like _The Avengers_ , I just published a sort prequel for _Endgame_ so go check that out if you like.**

 ** _Recap_** **\- Scarlet arrived in France without telling her friends she was leaving. Meanwhile, her friends back home will try and figure out where she is.**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Two

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Cinder, Wolf, and Cress enter The Rampion, still in their school uniforms. They were one half of the Locating Scarlet Expedition Squad (as Thorne called it and Winter seconded so that made it official). The three of them enter The Rampion and look around the main dining area and the part of the dining service they can see. Even if Scarlet was working, she wouldn't be in the kitchen since she isn't the cook. At first, they split up and walk around the general dining area, checking everywhere they had access to, including the bathroom (both bathrooms since Scarlet is the type who would hide in the boys' bathroom).

Cinder goes to the front where a server is.

"Can I get you anything?" He asks her.

"Is Scarlet Benoit here?" Cinder asks.

He shakes his head. "She's supposed to be but hasn't shown up or called."

"Do you know where she is?"

"No."

Cinder nods. "Anyways, can I get a cheeseburger to go?"

Cinder turns around and sees Wolf glaring at her and Cress grinning. She shrugs, dropping some cash on the counter before approaching them. In her defense, searching for Scarlet made her hungry even if it's only been a few minutes.

"She's not here," Cinder tells them. "And just like with school, she didn't call in either."

Wolf sighs, running a hand through his hair. He turns around and looks outside, wondering what they should do next. He checks his phone for any updates or better yet, a message from Scarlet. There's nothing from either end which frightens him. _How could she have just left so sudden?_

"I think we should get out of here," Cress suggests, "at least when Cinder gets her cheeseburger."

"And go where?" Wolf asks louder than he should have. People in the restaurant look over but he doesn't really care.

"How fast can you drive to Scarlet's house?"

"Fast enough to not get a speeding ticket."

Cinder hesitantly tosses him her car keys. "Fine. But drive my car safely only because it's a nice car."

-o-

Meanwhile, Winter, Thorne, and Kai arrive at Scarlet's house. They see her car in the driveway so that gave them a bit of hope that she was just staying at home the whole time. But, after knocking on her door, ringing the doorbell, and even screaming her name, there are no answers. They're lucky that Scarlet's grandma's house is in the farmlands on the edge of the city because that means her neighbours are far away so the screaming won't bother them. But, the empty space means that Scarlet's name echoes throughout the area. So in essence, they could still be heard.

So, the three of them resort to peeking through all the windows they could. Some only showed an empty house and others were closed with curtains. Again, they're thankful for the area Scarlet lives in because they look like creeps to a stranger's eye.

"I have an idea," Thorne says.

He climbs the fence to jump over and instead of making a superhero landing, he falls right into the tomato garden on the other side. Winter follows in pursuit but instead of looking like a fool, she lands on solid ground. She kept hold of her uniform skirt the whole time and did not squish one tomato in the process. Thorne wishes he had such grace, believing that was a Lunar trait before remembering that Wolf and Cinder were Lunars as well and then disregarding that theory. As she helps Thorne up, Kai just reaches his arm over the gate and unlocks it, letting himself in.

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Thorne asks, brushing tomato chunks and dirt off of his uniform.

"It's funnier that way," Kai responds.

Thorne throws some tomato chunks at Kai as Winter saunters over to the backside of the house. She continues to peek and knock around in hopes of finding Scarlet, but there is still nothing. She sighs.

"I don't think she's here either," Winter mutters.

Then, all of their heads turn when they hear another car pull up. They all run out through the gate and think that it's Scarlet coming home, but then think it might be the cops so they lay low. Then, they realize that it's only the other half of their Locating Scarlet Expedition Squad. All of them share the same expressions of finding nothing about Scarlet. It was time to think of a new plan but they didn't even have a foundation to create one.

"We could hear you yelling Scarlet's name from the edge of the city," Cress says to them.

"I doubt Scarlet heard it…" Kai replies.

-o-

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

Scarlet exits the cab, paying the driver and giving her thanks. As he drives off, she parks her suitcase by her side and takes off her sunglasses and her hood. Her body is still shaking as she looks at the familiar Parisian house she used to go to all the time as a child. Her only hope is that like the exterior, it didn't change one bit on the inside. She takes a breath to calm down her nerves as she wheels her suitcase up the cobblestone pathway. When she makes it to the front door, she rings the doorbell and waits.

Even though it only took a few moments, it felt like she waited for a year. Scarlet almost ran off, changing her plans but the door already opened. On the other side of the door is a girl from her past. Like her, she has grown up and is staring at her but with wide caramel eyes instead of plain brown ones. Her honey curls have never changed except for the fact that they've been tamed more to wrap around her round face.

Scarlet is relieved yet anxious and grateful to see her.

"Âllo, Émilie," Scarlet says softly.

Émilie Monfort. Scarlet's childhood friend from France. They have not spoken in a decade for several reasons ever since she ran away but somehow, Émilie was the one who sent Scarlet the text message about the letter and the news article about her father. Even if they have drifted due to circumstance, they were always loyal to one another. At least, by once-in-a-lifetime and drastic emergency electronic communication. Up close, it was like being in an updated flashback.

Émilie freezes, studying Scarlet from head-to-toe almost to verify that it's here even though she knows that it is. "Corrigez-moi si je me trompe, mais est-ce que je vois un fantôme?"

Scarlet whines a little. "S'il vous plaît, Émilie, parler en anglais. Juste un peu."

"D'accord…" Émilie remains a bit hesitant. "So, when were you going to tell me you were running away? You know, when I asked your father if you could come out to play, he just told me that you were already outside. I didn't know what he meant but then you stopped showing up to class. Eventually, my parents found out from our other classmates that you ran away. Nobody could blame you though."

Scarlet groans a little, not in the mood to deal with this right now because she knows that Émilie is referring to what happened a decade ago. "Vous m'avez envoyé un texto and I don't know how you got my number or email but - "

Scarlet can't find it in her to explain herself. She knows that emotions only make her stronger but she can't help herself for feeling so weak right now. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing after starting that sentence. She cries her heart out and Émilie immediately goes to hug her as tight as she could.

"Oh, Scarlet, pardonnez-moi pour mes questions. Je ne m'attendais à vous voir. Allons-y, je vais préparer une chambre pour vous et nous parlerons quand vous êtes prêtes."

"Oh, stars…" Scarlet mutters. "I am so glad you still live here."

* * *

 **French Translations: "Hello, Émilie." / "Correct me if I'm wrong, but am I seeing a ghost?" / "Please, Émilie, try to talk in English. Just a little." / "Okay…" / "You sent me a text" / "Oh, Scarlet, forgive me for my questions. I wasn't expecting to see you. Come on, I will prepare a room for you and we'll talk when you're ready."**

 **And by the way, I just realized this but the grouping of Cinder, Cress, and Wolf may be foreshadowing…**

 ** _IMPORTANT_** \- **Please vote on my poll if you have not already. Or if you already have and want to continue casting votes, feel free to do so in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **-** **As Scarlet explains herself to Émilie, her friends back in Commonwealth will try to find out where she went and why.**


	83. A Study in Scarlet: Part Three

**_Recap_** **\- After Scarlet arrived at Émilie's house, the others back in Commonwealth started their search for Scarlet.**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Three

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

As evening hits the city of Commonwealth, the Locating Scarlet Expedition Squad sat in the middle of the mall with no further progress on their hunt for Scarlet. At this point, they somehow have _less_ information than what they started with. They only know that as of right now, she was not with her Grandmère since she would've called or been back by now. Even her Grandmère wasn't home when they were there. They're not sure what the lie was, but there is certainly one somewhere in that mess of many. To them, Scarlet was both MIA and AWOL and they try to talk out what to do next while drinking sodas.

"I think we can figure this out," Cress says as a way to motivate them since they all seem to have lost hope. "On television, the teenagers are always the one who solve the mysteries."

"Okay, then let's state what we know," Cinder says. "Scarlet had a pregnancy scare with Wolf, her father sent her a letter saying that he wants or needs to talk to her, her father gets arrested for something, and now Scarlet is gone."

They all nod their heads, trying to see if they can dissect something from that story that would've prompted Scarlet to have run away. Honestly, if they were in her shoes, any of those tidbits of information would've sent them straight out the door and into hiding. So in hindsight, they can't blame her for what she did. It's the fact that she didn't tell any of them that bothers them.

"Maybe the police were looking for her because her father got arrested," Winter suggests.

"Or maybe child services took her in because her father got arrested," Cress adds.

"Or maybe, Scarlet didn't run away," Thorne says. Everyone looks at him. "Hear me out, maybe because of her father's arrest, Scarlet's mother didn't want child services to take her in so she kidnapped her."

They're all cringing at how ridiculous that sounds but at the same time, it wildly makes sense.

"Her grandma is still out of the picture," Kai reminds them.

"I bet that her grandma actually went out of town and Scarlet took that opportunity to flee," Cinder says. "Or she's in on the whole criminal story and they fled together."

"Okay!" Wolf exclaims, slamming his hands on the table. They all jump up and their sodas shake. Luckily, none of them fall over. They all look at Wolf as he exhales exasperatedly. "Aces, guys, you're losing your spades."

"You've been shockingly calm this whole time," Winter says. "I thought you would be the most riled up because she's your Scarlet. When Jacin ran away, I couldn't handle myself. I got interrogated by Commander Clay's associates."

Wolf bites down on his lip. He understands why Winter told him this, but their stories are different. Sure, Winter had no idea where Jacin went and why when she first learned that he went missing, but at the end of the day, Jacin called her and told her that he was running to her. He ran in her direction. Scarlet said nothing and ran the other way from him. If anything, he is not concerned about himself in the equation at all. He is beyond terrified about Scarlet and where she is. At the moment, he is more concerned about her location rather than why she left.

But he doesn't tell her that.

Wolf sits up after being quite this whole time. "Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet. She ran away from France to here when she was a child and I'm not sure how the immigration process would've worked for her in that case. And now, her father is in jail so they would've done a background check on him which would've revealed that Scarlet is his daughter. Since Scarlet is still a minor, they would've been looking for her and it wouldn't be that hard to find her here because they would have records that her grandma is here. So, with that in mind, let's say she got deported back to France. From that point, how do we get her back legally?"

Everyone is silent at first. They should've just let Wolf do the talking and hypothesizing first because his explanation actually had logic in it while they were spitting out conspiracy theories.

"Since you're an Earthen citizen, you could marry her," Kai says.

"Honestly, that's probably the easiest form of immigration - or re-immigration in her case," Winter says. She smiles before she starts cheering. "We can have a wedding and welcome back party!"

"Wedding of the year!" Thorne chants as if he was at a university party.

Wolf is a little shocked by that idea but isn't hating it one bit. "…we'll call that Plan B."

"I get what you were saying," Thorne says to Wolf. "There's the possibility that Scarlet thought the same thing so maybe she ran away to avoid all those legal spades."

"Why would she do that and not at least tell us?" Cress asks.

"Because the less we know, the less we could tell the police," Wolf says. He feels all antsy the more time Scarlet's whereabouts are unknown. Then, he looks down and smiles to himself as he thinks about one of the first times he was aware that he was seeing Scarlet Benoit. "She almost shot me twice…"

He said that with so much tenderness that the others look at him with concern. If anyone else heard that statement, they would give him and even stranger look that they're currently giving him. That was not normal but at the same time, it was.

"You pretend like you're all tough, but look at you being a big ol' softie," Thorne tells him.

Wolf looks up just to glare at him. "If my girl wasn't missing, I would kick you right here and now."

Thorne makes a heart with his hands and pushes it back and forth as if it was beating compulsively. Cress captures it for her story, making a boomerang out of it. Wolf rolls his eyes at all this which Cress catches for another part of her story.

-o-

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

The next morning, Émilie brought Scarlet to the nearest café for them to talk. Scarlet barely slept that night so that just adds another reason why she feels so tired. She thinks about her Grandmère and is relieved that she is still out-of-town so she will never really know that she's currently in France (granted if she returns in time - or at all, at this point). Then, her mind wanders off to her friends in Commonwealth who are probably worried and panicking about where in the stars she went - _aces, Wolf must be dying to know where she is right now._

Scarlet wipes a tear she didn't know she shed just as Émilie came to their table with their coffees and pastries. She pulls out some creams, sugars, and napkins from her pockets before taking a seat beside her. Lucky for her, Émilie was too preoccupied with their food to notice Scarlet wipe her tear with her sleeve.

There are some worries better kept if never said aloud, but Scarlet needs to tell Émilie the truth. No one knows you to the extent that your oldest girl friend does. There's a really deep bond that never goes away over time, even if you drift apart over time. As much as you make new friends, it's just not the exact same as your first. Scarlet owes Émilie a lot of explanations such as why she ran away a decade ago and why she was suddenly back without warning. When they were kids, Émilie did not know much about Scarlet's domestic life but knew that her parents fought a lot up to the point where her mom left and her dad started drinking. Sure, they didn't fully understand it when they were kids, but now it all makes sense. Deciding to tell Émilie this was like Scarlet giving her secrets away to her and Émilie keeping them as if they were her own.

"Alors…" Émilie mutters as she makes herself comfortable in her seat. "How is your Grandmère?"

"She's good," Scarlet replies, sipping her coffee which was too hot. She just didn't want to talk at the moment no matter how much she knew she had to.

"And how is - I believe you said you were in Commonwealth?"

Scarlet nods, lowering her coffee. "Commonwealth is fine."

"How do you go to school? I mean, isn't there some sort of background check when there's registration?"

"Lunar Academy's school board started out as some refuge for Lunars who escaped during the reign of the now-late President Blackburn. So, they were sort of lenient at first when it comes to registration because they all sort of flooded in at once. Now, all you really need to be a student in that school is a Lunar citizenship, rich, smart or a combination. As for me who is none of the above, the school thinks I'm an international student and I gave them the paperwork as if I filled it out in France. Forged signatures and all that."

Scarlet opens the paper bag with her pastry in it and breaks a piece off her brioche to munch on. She glances up at Émilie who is unexpectedly frowning at her.

"Quel est votre problème?" Scarlet asks, not wanting to feel mad because she had no right to be.

"We haven't spoken about how you're feeling and I need to know." Émilie's face softens up a little. "As much as I am happy to see you, it scared me to see you at my door. You came back after a decade so obviously, it was for something scary - which it was. I shouldn't say this, but that letter from the French government was in my nightmare so I can't imagine how you must have felt reading it back in Commonwealth."

Scarlet sighs. "I feel like my life is over. I made some stupid decision by coming here and I don't see a point in coming back - if I'll even be allowed to go back."

"What do you mean?"

"My Grandmère obviously knows the situation with my father and you didn't have to tell me but I know my father in all his drunkness came knocking on your door the moment he realized I was gone. I know I should've at least told my Grandmère about coming to France but I couldn't bring myself to get the words out. Same goes to my friends in Commonwealth. It's all this pride I have towards this. It's why I just leave and show up. It saves _me_ the tragic storytelling." She takes a breath and Émilie rubs her arm. "If I can't even tell them, what the stars am I supposed to tell a freaking judge?! What if child services takes me in? I probably deserve it for reckless behaviour. I mean, they should probably lock me up for running away."

"Is that why you left the first time?"

"It was a hard choice to leave when I was seven. The only reason why I stayed for so long was because state care is worse than alcohol neglect."

Émilie nods before squeezing Scarlet's arm a little. "Hey, we'll get through this. Nobody's perfect and your genes are not your destiny. We all make mistakes and feel depressed at times, but you can get up again and feel better again. I'll be by your side throughout this whole process no matter what happens."

Scarlet smiles happily as a grateful tear falls down her cheek. "Merci, Émilie."

Émilie grins as she uses a napkin to wipe Scarlet's face. "You have a bad habit of running away."

Scarlet rolls her eyes. "It's not a habit if it only happened twice in the span of a decade."

"At least call your Grandmère."

Scarlet shakes her head. "She'll be fine."

"If being _fine_ is a euphemism for completely freaking out, then sure, she'll be fine."

"Exactement."

Émilie sighs disappointedly. "Scarlet, je suis sérieuse. You better have told at least _one_ person."

"I did."

"Qui?"

"Vous."

Émilie groans as she rolls her eyes. Scarlet smiles to herself as she finishes eating her brioche.

* * *

 **French Translations: "So…" / "What is your problem?" / "Thank you, Émilie." / "Exactly." / "Scarlet, I'm serious." / "Who?" / "You."**

 ** _IMPORTANT -_** **Please continue to vote on the poll on my page. If you already have but still want to cast more votes, feel free to do so in the reviews.**

 ** _Stay Tuned -_** **Wolf plans something incredibly risky to try and get Scarlet back.**


	84. A Study in Scarlet: Part Four

**You will find out the exact reason why Scarlet is in France in a few chapters.**

 ** _Recap -_** **Scarlet told Émilie how she was feeling about all this as the group in Commonwealth tried to figure out why Scarlet disappeared.**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Four

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Between classes, Wolf stands outside the school currently halfway through a cigarette which he completely forgot about because his mind was too focused on Scarlet. Today is another day where he has no idea where she is which means that it's another day where he has to try and fail to be calm. He can't focus on anything like school because his mind will just wander on his missing girl. She has to be fine, right? He wants to believe that she is but he can't convince himself.

He looks up for a second and sees Cinder approaching him. He says nothing as she leans against the brick exterior wall beside him.

" I thought Scarlet made you quit smoking," Cinder says.

"Nah, it wasn't much of a problem," Wolf replies.

"In that case, may I?"

Wolf hesitantly gives her the cigarette he already started, expecting her to just take a puff and give it back to him. Instead, she rolls it in between her pointer and middle finger before throwing it on the ground and stomping it, squishing it to a pulp.

"Hey!" Wolf exclaims.

"Those killed my mom and I don't need you dead too," Cinder tells him.

Wolf pauses for a moment. "…you don't get it."

"No, _you_ don't get it. Those are a daily dose of your death. I know you miss and are concerned about Scarlet. I am too. Trust me, I understand where she's coming from with my whole Selene enigma. Time was cutting close and after so many secrets and lies, I needed to be able to show you who I really was and how I felt about it. When I told you about Selene's dad, Kai's dad died so I do understand where she's coming from."

Wolf doesn't respond to Cinder because he deeply processed her words. If Kai's dad never got sick, they may have never known about Selene Blackburn. And now, Wolf knows that he is madly in love with Scarlet even though it only took her running away unannounced to make him realize that he knows almost nothing about her. He knows the basics of her family plan and why she ran to Commonwealth and that was it. And it took her pregnancy scare and a letter from her father for her to spill it all out to him and the others. If those never happened, not only would Scarlet still be here but he wouldn't know those things. He would know nothing and still be in love with her.

Wolf thought Cinder was the vault of secrets but maybe Scarlet really was. Or realistically, they both are.

Wolf comes back to reality when he sees Cress approaching them. She swats away smoke remains the closer she gets to them.

"What are you doing here?" Wolf asks. Cress was honestly the last person either of them expected to see here during class time.

"My teacher thinks I'm in the bathroom so I'll be quick," Cress replies.

"Should I leave?" Cinder asks.

"No, you can stay," Cress says, pulling out her phone from the inside of her skirt's waistband. She looks up at Wolf. "I think I found Scarlet."

Wolf's eyes almost bulge out of his head at the sound of those words. Cinder looks at her with disbelief. It's not that they don't believe Cress at all because she is scarily smart, but finding Scarlet at this point just seemed like finding a bright red needle in a haystack. Still, Cress looks confident in herself even if her statement made it sound like only a possibility.

"What do you mean by _found_?" Wolf asks.

Cress steps over in-between Cinder and Wolf. She unlocks her phone and goes to that pre-downloaded app on most phones called 'Find Friends'. She explains to them that Scarlet may not be answering their messages, calls or going on social media, but her phone is still with her and it's still on. On the screen, there is a map and it shows her current location by a star on the screen and two smaller stars right next to her which are Cinder and Wolf. To show where Scarlet is, Cress repeatedly pinches inwards on the map, zooming out.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Wolf asks as he continues to watch Cress' screen. "And why are you going over an ocean?!"

Those starts are more than just dots of fake burning lights on the screen. Names are powerful things. They act as an identity marker and a kind of map, locating you in time and geography. They're navigation tools.

"Aces…" Cinder mutters. "Technology is whack. Robots will take over the world."

"Starting with you," Wolf mumbles with a small laugh. Cinder jokingly kicks his leg.

"Here!" Cress says, showing them the small star with Scarlet's name and contact photo on it.

Wolf takes her phone to get a closer look at it. No other star was nearby. _Because Scarlet is all the way in France_. Wolf hands back Cress' phone to her and tries to think of a new plan. He has to give his friends some credit because the majority of their Scarlet conspiracy theories involved her going back to France. They just didn't know why or if she'll come back.

He really wished Cinder didn't ruin his cigarette.

"I'm heading to class," Wolf says, running off. "Crescent Moon, you are phenomenal!"

Cinder and Cress watch him run back inside the school. Cress is smiling to herself whereas Cinder is still baffled by Cress actually getting a location on Scarlet. Despite their different facial reactions, they both have a hunch on what Wolf is about to do and it sure as the stars isn't going back to class to learn.

"He's going to France now, isn't he?" Cress asks rhetorically.

"I'm 99% sure he is," Cinder replies. "Jacin has done the same for Winter about two times now and he is over the moon for her, so I can imagine Wolf doing the same for Scarlet."

Cress swoons. "How romantic."

"An ordinary man will do anything to save the woman he loves. For Scarlet, Wolf is extraordinary so even if he doesn't go to France - which is highly unlikely - he will do something big."

"Does that mean you think Jacin is extraordinary? I mean, you did tell us about the beach fire and all that."

Cinder barfs a little in her mouth at the idea that she possibly gave Jacin an implied compliment. No matter how much she can tolerate the guy, she will never confess that she likes him in any way whatsoever.

"Don't worry," Cress says as she starts heading back to class. "I'll make it my personal mission to make you believe in fairytales."

-o-

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

In Émilie's room, Émilie and Scarlet stand and try to prepare the best they can for tomorrow. It was going to be a big day for Scarlet since the rest of her life will possibly be decided and she might have to see her father again. (She's hoping the latter won't happen). However, the two girls don't know what to really expect so they don't know how to prepare.

"I don't want to come across as weak," Scarlet states firmly.

"You're not weak just because your heart is heavy," Émilie responds.

"Aces, am I supposed to have a lawyer?!"

Scarlet whines in stress as she falls back on Émilie's bed, letting her bright curls fly above and sprawl all around her. Émilie shrugs taking a seat on the corner of her bed to comfort Scarlet.

"Maybe it'll look better if you don't have a lawyer," Émilie suggests optimistically. "It might show how genuine your words are since nobody will tell you what to say. And it'll show your child-like innocence because you're too young to get your own lawyer. But let's forget about lawyers right now. Pretend that I'm the judge and make your case to me."

Scarlet nods as she gets up off the bed. Émilie scoots over to the centre of her bed and faces Scarlet, straightening her back to mimic a judge. Scarlet stands in front of her, keeping her composure in check.

"I don't know my father anymore and right now, I don't have it in me to figure him out," Scarlet confesses. "Why he did all this is beyond me. I don't even know why he brought a kid into this world if he and my mom never really planned on being a part of her life."

There's a part of her that still hates her parents, that will maybe always hate them, but they're her parents, after all, and she doesn't want to hate them even more than she already does. Frustration overwhelms her. It rips her bones and overpowers her insides. No drug or drink could cure it. She always feels the need to do something bad or reckless, yet exciting. She always lacks air thinking about it. She wants to go, to run out the door, but she would only make it all worse.

"D'accord…" Émilie mutters, sensing how tough this is for Scarlet to do. "How about we pick an outfit for tomorrow. If you're going to cry, might as well do it in style."

"If I'm going to hell, might as well do that in style as well."

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

When Wolf came home from school, he had a rough copy of his plan to get Scarlet back. By that, he means that he knows he has to find her, but everything leading up to that point was just a big question mark. First, he needed to get out of his house for a few days straight. He wasn't going to pull a Scarlet and just _leave_ because his mom would not only have a heart attack but actually hunt him down and drag him back home.

Lucky for him, he knew how to get permission. And for an added bonus, she was already home.

"Hey, Ma," Wolf says as he walks up to her. He leans against the wall as she looks up at him. "Remember that upcoming field trip?"

"What?" Maha questions.

"That overnight school trip across town that is for the rest of the week. We're leaving tonight."

His mom blinks. "Why didn't I know about this?"

"You did," Wolf argues lightly. "You signed the form and everything. And then, you gave me your spiel about how travelling is the most important form of education."

"Did I?" She questions. Wolf nods his head, hoping his story plays through. "Huh, must have forgotten."

His mom casually shrugs before smiling at him. "Well, Ze'ev, I hope you have a fun trip. Have you already packed?"

"Uh, no."

His mom rolls her eyes before muttering something inaudibly in Hebrew. It's not like Wolf would've understood it if she said it at a normal volume. He smiles, knowing that he got one obstacle of his plan out of the way.

"You better bring something back!" She exclaims.

"You and me both!"

* * *

 **And again, there's the future trio of Cinder, Cress, and Wolf. That'll be for another arc.**

 **I'm going out of town for the holidays so just in case I don't update for a while: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**

 **French Translations: "Okay…"**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please go visit the poll on my page and vote! If you already voted or don't want to use the poll, feel free to use the reviews.**

 ** _Stay Tuned -_** **Now that Wolf has a location on Scarlet, what obstacles will be in his way before he finally makes his big move?**


	85. A Study in Scarlet: Part Five

**When I first planned this arc, it didn't hit me until writing it that Jacin ran away in season one. I think that will draw some parallels within the group and I love it.**

 ** _Recap -_** **after finding out where Scarlet was, Wolf started his plan on getting her back. Meanwhile, Scarlet was trying to prepare for her big day.**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Five

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

On his way to conquer the last part of his plan before leaving, Wolf gets frustrated due to the traffic jam he's currently stuck in. Just like all the other cars around him, he slams on the horn in frustration even though that will not help the situation whatsoever. He figures that he'll go on his phone and tell the guys what he wants them to do. That way, he could just bypass what he has to do with them and head to his next location. He doesn't have a lot of time to work with.

Lucky for him, there are no cops nearby to give him a distracted while driving ticket. And based on how congested traffic is right now, he won't be moving for a while. If anything, the cops are caught in the same traffic jam as well.

Wolf takes out his phone and goes straight to his group chat with the boys, cringing at the atrocity that is the group name.

 _Group Chat - Tasty Bois_

 _[Kai has changed the name of the chat to - Tasty Bois]_

 _Jacin: Kai, why did you rename our group chat?_

 _Thorne: Because we're snaccs ;)_

 _Jacin: I just barfed in my mouth._

 _Kai: Nah, Cinder just changed the name of our group chat._

 _Thorne: SHE WAS IN OUR GROUP CHAT?!_

 _Jacin: …I hate her even more now._

 _Thorne: Don't we all? Even though I like this group chat name._

 _Kai: Not me._

 _Jacin: Majority rules._

 _Kai: Wolf, help!_

 _Wolf: Actually, I need your guys' help with something more important than us being snaccs._

 _Kai: Does it involve Scarlet's location that Cress somehow found?_

Usually, Wolf wouldn't like being predictable but in this case, he's glad that he doesn't have to explain himself because, for this case, it's quite the story. Still, he's in traffic so if he needed to, he would've explained himself. He looks up to check on the road again before going back to his phone.

 _Wolf: …yeah._

 _Jacin: Oh…I know where this is going._

 _Jacin: And also where you're going._

 _Thorne: You go get our Scarlet! *crying emojis*_

 _Thorne: How else am I going to get my free food from The Rampion?_

 _Wolf: I'm SO glad Scarlet that is important to you._

 _Kai: What can we do to help?_

 _Wolf: Call in my absences._

 _Kai: I'll take care of that since Thorne doesn't know the school's phone number._

 _Thorne: I don't even know Cress' OR MY OWN by heart so why would I know the school's?_

Wolf laughs to himself for a bit. Thorne has a point there because he, as well, does not know Scarlet's number off the top of his head. There was no reason to have it memorized nowadays with the marvellous contact list on his phone. He looks up to check the roads and traffic moves a little.

 _Kai: Keep us updated in France._

 _Thorne: I hope you find Scarlet even if you can't bring her back. That way, the trip wouldn't be that much of a waste._

 _Wolf: It's better to regret something you did than regret something you didn't do._

 _Thorne: *preaching emojis*_

 _Kai: *preaching emojis*_

 _Jacin: Bon voyage!_

 _Wolf: …what?_

 _Jacin: Have a nice trip._

Wolf grins to himself as he throws his phone back in his cup holder. He looks up ahead and is not happy for the traffic but is glad that everything went well with the guys because that means he can save some time and take the next exit to his next location.

-o-

Once Wolf pulls up the driveway, he gets out of his car and makes his way up the driveway. He calls them to let them know that he's here and needs to see them urgently, and so he wouldn't have to knock and risk an awkward conversation with their house staff. Wolf looks up and is a bit intimidated by the mansion even though this area of Commonwealth was full of them (Thorne and Kai lived nearby, maybe a ten-minute drive in opposite directions from here). It was like a castle made of off-white creamy pink stone with black panelling and roofing to contrast. Its garden was definitely maintained with blooming flowers. The more Wolf walks on the faint grey pathway up to the door, the poorer he feels (especially because of what he's going to do here).

The moment he reaches the door, it opens wide and Winter and Cinder are on the other side. For a second, he regrets coming here to ask for what he's about to, but he has no other options on such short notice.

But to all of their surprises, Levana opens the door wider just so he knows that she's there as. Wolf is suddenly dumbstruck by looking directly at her, The Queen of the Mansion. She matched the house she lived in: strikingly beautiful and prestigious. She resembled the stories Winter and Cinder told them. This changed the dynamic of his plan completely, but he hopes it can still work in his favour.

Just the three Blackburns standing there and staring at him would make anyone's knees shake. Those women were the definition of intimidating even if they weren't trying to be.

"Winter told me about Scarlet's whereabouts because the same thing happened to Jacin and she needed a fresh face to share this," Levana says. Wolf glances at Winter who smiles innocently. "So tell me, Wolf, what are you doing here?"

Wolf swallows his fear which created a lump in his throat. "I have to get her back."

"Why?" Levana questions. "She ran away. Your first love doesn't have to be your last."

"You're telling me that I deserve better, Ms. Blackburn, but you're wrong because all I want is her. With Jacin and Winter, Cress and Thorne, and Kai and Cinder, it was fate. With Scarlet and I, it was dumb luck. I was raised to be better than this but I am truly desperate. I am in love with Scarlet Benoit and I feel empty and scared without her, especially with the possibility of never seeing her again. I just need to borrow some money to figure all of this out. I promise to pay back every univ."

Levana takes a step closer to him. In her heels, she is just a _bit_ taller than him. "Be warned that showing up in a foreign country that doesn't and will probably not speak your language is probably a bad idea. Leaving without a solid plan is impulsive, reckless, risky - but I am told those are the trademarks of your Scarlet Benoit."

Wolf can't believe what she's saying. He also can't believe Levana pulls her chequebook out from her back pocket and clicks a pen open just to fill out the details. She hands him the cheque and he thanks her a million times. Levana gives a small smile as she and her girls wish him luck finding Scarlet before she closes the front door. Cinder and Winter are surprised at what just happened.

"I think I believe in fairytales…" Cinder mutters, still awestruck by Levana's actions.

"Why the sudden heartbeat, Levana?" Winter asks.

"Loving people is traumatizing," Levana tells them. "You'll never know what would happen to them out there in the world. Everything that's precious is also vulnerable. You girls already know that we've been through that."

The two teenagers are quiet. They know that Levana is talking about Winter's father who unexpectedly died while serving overseas. Then, there was Winter who had to deal with Jacin running away, and Cinder who was there with Kai when her Selene secret came out and his father died.

"Besides," Levana continues, "wolves love a good hunt."

Levana excuses herself from the girls, leaving them alone. Of course, Levana had her signature sass behind her reasoning.

"She doesn't have a heart," Cinder jokes, smiling a little. "It's a bank account."

"But like a heart, it bleeds immensely," Winter finishes.

-o-

Wolf tries his best not to look completely nervous at customs while the border security guard checks through his bag. He didn't think he looked sketchy at all. He checked everything off on his declaration card and he wasn't bringing anything questionable. Maybe it was the fact that he was a minor with an empty passport suddenly going to France with a cheque he cashed in twenty minutes ago. Or it was just a random inspection. He isn't going to ask because he doesn't want to raise any suspicion.

"What's your reason for travel?" The guard asks him.

"Surprise visit to my girlfriend," Wolf responds. At least he isn't lying…

"Is she a French citizen?"

He isn't sure how to answer this one at first but can't waste any time hesitating because that looks bad. "She's dual."

Wolf exhales out of relief when the guard neatly presses his clothes back in his bag and zips it up before passing it to him. Wolf thanks him as she puts it back on the ground beside him to take his passport again.

"Well, I wish you luck on finding her," the guard says, "or as the French say, _bonne chance_."

Wolf smiles a little. "Bonne chance indeed."

* * *

 **Do not text and drive.**

 **French Translations: "Have a nice trip!" / "Good luck"**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please visit the poll on my page! If you already voted and want to cast more votes or prefer to not go to the poll, feel free to use the reviews! Even to my guest readers, you can vote in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- Wolf arrives in France just as Scarlet leaves for her big day. Will he be able to find her?**


	86. A Study in Scarlet: Part Six

**You can thank the guest user, _L_ , for this update because his/her cute review has made my day just like I made their summer. And to _L_ : yes, the Emily Stark vibe is strong in this story. Writing the Lunar Chronicles group gives me great nostalgia for writing Emily and her friends.**

 ** _Recap_** **\- After finding Scarlet's location, Wolf booked a flight for France and is on his way.**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Six

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

At school the next day, both Scarlet and Wolf's desks are empty and the group knows what that means. They all look at each other smirking, especially when Kai ends the call with the main office in regards to Wolf's absence. A part of them has hope in Scarlet's return because Wolf will probably stay in France until she is on the plane with him and here to stay.

"Wait, so he actually went?" Cress asks, still in shock.

Winter nods as she turns around in her desk to face her. "He showed up at our place to borrow some money."

"I'm still spooked by Levana giving him a cheque," Cinder says. "I bet she gave him a million univs."

Cress swoons louder than expected which gets other classmates' heads to turn but she doesn't care. "That's so romantic!"

"Step up your game," Kai tells Thorne.

"I am," Thorne responds. "I am in the midst of memorizing Cress' phone number."

Cinder, Winter, Kai, and even Cress are looking at him as if that was the weirdest romantic gesture to ever be doing. Thorne is proud of himself and will actually go through with trying to memorize her number. He just can't make it through the area code because he always forgets where the placement of the 3.

"But," Thorne adds, "if for some reason, Crescent Moon, you run back to wherever you come from in Luna, I promise to run after you."

"You wouldn't," Cress says. "My town was scary and full of druggies. You'd have to be inside before sundown if you loved your life. I would rather be floating on a satellite in space than go back."

Thorne is speechless. "Change of plans, I'll send Wolf on my behalf."

Cinder laughs. "How chivalrous of you, Carswell Thorne."

Before Thorne could come back with a snappy response, Cress' phone rings which makes her jump a little. She looks to see who it is and it's Wolf. That gets everyone circling around her desk so they could all get in on the call together. If Wolf called, that means he made it to France and now needs to know Scarlet's location. At least, that what they assumed and hoped it was.

-o-

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

Wolf is overwhelmed by France already and he's been in the country for about five minutes tops. He has never been lost in translation for more in his life than now. Even when his mom speaks in Hebrew, he can sometimes pick out a few words. Now, every French sound just goes over his head. He decided to call Cress not only to hear some English but to know where Scarlet is so he would feel complete once again.

He's relieved when Cress picks up. He might have had a heart attack if she didn't.

"Help, everyone's speaking French," Wolf says over the phone.

 _Winter: I'm pretty sure 'au secours' means help._

Wolf rolls his eyes. "Not now, Winter."

Winter's small laugh on the other side doesn't help either. Wolf sort of feels more anxious now than he did back in Commonwealth. Despite Scarlet not being there, at least he knew where he was. Now that he's in France, he still has no clue where Scarlet is and now, he's in unknown territory.

 _Cress: Give me a second to figure this out._

 _Kai: How was your flight?_

"Fine," Wolf replies. "I sat in the window seat and ended up watching a French movie with no subtitles. I wasn't sure if it was a romcom or a tragedy."

 _Thorne: It could've been a fantasy._

"Maybe," Wolf says the more he thinks about it, "they wore a lot of costumes."

 _Cinder: Can we not talk about the freaking movie? Cress, where is she?_

 _Cress: I'll text you the location. The teacher's coming._

 _Thorne: Oh, spades, I forget we were in school._

 _All: Bye!_

 _Winter: Or as the French say - au revoir!_

The call ends and Wolf looks down at his phone. His foot taps impatiently as he waits for Cress' message with the address to flash on his screen. If her message doesn't come soon, he may still have that heart attack.

-o-

Meanwhile, Scarlet and Émilie woke up early to spend time picking the perfect outfit for her big day, her court day by the order of the French government. Suffice to say, neither of the girls slept well that night, especially Scarlet. They were stressed about today and what might happen. And now, picking out an outfit was an unnecessary burden on them that they didn't want to deal with. Scarlet brought some good pieces and Émilie's closet had some matching pieces as well. Their major problem was finding the right message they wanted her outfit to say, especially since they have no idea what or why she's going to court.

Whoever will be in the courtroom that day will take their first look at Scarlet Benoit. That first look will be their first impression and even though people claim not to be biased, first impressions end up being a lasting impression. So, to try and cover all bases, they combined as much as they could to give off one solid message.

Scarlet left her curls down, untamed to show that she was being natural (and because they didn't want to waste time trying to fix them); she wore a little makeup just to make her face look presentable. She wore a white sleeveless top to look innocent and a black blazer that had folded sleeves at the elbow to look professional. To add, she wore skinny bleach-washed jeans with no rips to show her casualty yet decency. Then, she had her combat boots to show her toughness. The only accessory she had were her sunglasses mostly because it was bright outside and for the added bonus of looking mysterious to the stranger's eye.

All in all, she looks like a teenager who can and _will_ work her way through the legal system.

"I look terrible," Scarlet states.

Émilie nudges her. "Never ever think you're ugly. This outfit doesn't do any justice to your beauty."

"As flattering as that is, I can take punches better than compliments."

"Please, Scarlet," Émilie says as she finishes prepping herself to be by Scarlet's side. "I bet the boys of Commonwealth are swooning over you."

And that's the stab in the heart Scarlet never expected to hear. Still, she only smiles a little sadly to cover up her true feelings of not telling Wolf where she is and not answering any of his messages.

"Not really," Scarlet says. _She only has Wolf swooning over her and that was all she ever needed. If only he was here right now to tell her that she's got this before kissing the stars out of her._ She tosses her curls over her shoulders and quickly changes the topic. "Let's go, we're going to be late."

"We have plenty of time," Émilie argues. "We haven't eaten all day and you need something in your stomach before facing the law."

"I'm going to puke on the judge and jury."

"As long as the prosecution cleans it up, it'll be fine."

"Émilie…" Scarlet nags.

"I'm only half-kidding." Émilie smiles brightly. "Puking is better than fainting."

"That's debatable."

"Either way, you don't know your way to the courthouse so we're going to eat."

"Whatever."

* * *

 ** _Important_** **\- Please vote in the poll if you have not already. Votes will also be accepted in the reviews! (You can vote more than once that way)**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** ** _-_** **Will Wolf be able to find Scarlet?**


	87. A Study in Scarlet: Part Seven

**_Recap_** **\- Just as Wolf arrived in France, Scarlet was on her way to court**

 **(This is where you will find out why the French government sent her that letter at the end of season one and why she immediately left for France. Everything is connected).**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Seven

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

Wolf finally breathes once he gets the address from Cress. He hails a cab and when one shows up, he doesn't even bother to butcher the French location or address. Instead, he just shows the driver the information on his phone and they head straight there.

Wolf enters the café he got dropped off at and doesn't see Scarlet at first glance. There's the chance that she left while he was on his way here. To make sure, Wolf decides to ask someone here. He approaches a girl with honey curls who looks about his age sitting at the bar. She turns around when he's close and her eyes pop open in an obvious attraction towards him. She swivels her barstool more so that she's facing him. Wolf keeps his distance but smiles nervously at her.

"Bonjour, mon beau," she says.

Wolf isn't sure what that meant but her sultry tone has him blushing and heating up. "Uh…I - I don't speak French. Sorry."

She nods. "D'accord." She clears her throat. "What can I do for you?"

Wolf feels at ease that she speaks English well. "I'm sort of looking for someone and I'm wondering if you've seen her."

The girl nods again, agreeing to help. Wolf pulls out his phone and shows her a picture of Scarlet, one where they're together and obviously a couple so he doesn't look like a random creep stalking a girl. The girl leans in closer to get a better look and her eyes open wide in alarm as they go back and forth between the photo and him. Wolf isn't sure how to respond or react to this, but he has a hunch that she knows Scarlet.

"Who are you?" She asks sternly, hopping out of her seat. _This was not a good sign at all but it shows that she definitely knows Scarlet (which could arguably mean that this was a good sign)._

"Scarlet's boyfriend," Wolf responds, putting his phone back in his pocket.

The girl is taken aback a little, grinning wildly and failing to hide it. She unexpectedly sticks out her hand in front of her and Wolf hesitantly shakes it. Now, he has no idea where this conversation could possibly be going.

"I'm Émilie," she introduces all giddy.

"Wolf," he replies.

She gasps a little. "Quel nom _tenant_."

Wolf isn't sure what that meant, but he wants to say that was a compliment…a scandalous sounding one, at least. Before he could ask another question about Scarlet, Émilie's eyes divert from him to something behind her and joy suddenly appears on her face.

"Thanks for telling me about your hunky boyfriend!" Émilie unexpectedly and sarcastically yells past him.

Wolf isn't sure what the girl was talking about. He turns around to see what she was yelling at and it was Scarlet. Wolf almost drops everything even though he wasn't carrying it. He feels as if he was about to cry because he found his Scarlet right here, looking safe.

For some reason, she doesn't look happy to see him. Her expression is a mix of confused, shocked, and angry. He finds the need to raise his hands in surrender as she storms up to him.

-o-

Scarlet went to the bathroom for five minutes and came out to see Wolf in the café with Émilie. Her first instinct was that Émilie called him but Scarlet knew that couldn't have been true because she didn't even tell Émilie about Wolf. Then again, Émilie also found her email and phone number, so finding Wolf wouldn't have been that far off. Still, she wouldn't have done this especially because of the circumstances. _He definitely showed up on his own and she isn't sure if she hates him for that._

Scarlet marches up to him and stops right in front of him. Wolf reacts as if he needs to show he means no harm because Scarlet looks as if she wants to slap him, but her entire body is shaking. Instead, she pokes his chest to make sure she isn't hallucinating which she isn't. _He really is here._

"I come in peace," he tells her.

"Then leave the same way!" Scarlet yells back at him.

"No," Wolf argues, putting his hands down at his sides. "I've spent enough time apart from you to last a lifetime."

Scarlet opens her mouth to yell something back but stops herself. She agrees with him but doesn't want to say that aloud. She honestly missed him and regretted not telling at least him so that he could just relay the message to the others. Instead, she takes his hand and drags him outside because the entire café is staring at them as if they were a foreign drama which they really are right now. Once outdoors, Scarlet lets go of him and crosses her arms as she frowns up at him.

"I can't believe you found me!" She exclaims.

"Actually, Cress did but - "

"What the stars are you doing here?!"

This time, Wolf fights back. "Scarlet, _I_ should be the one asking _you_ that question."

Scarlet takes a breath. She clearly was not expecting to deal with this today because she already has to go to court later. However, she has nothing else to do at this point but tell the truth. Besides, it's not like she could've avoided him for much longer.

"I'm moving on," Scarlet explains.

"Moving on?!" Wolf yells. "What's that supposed to mean?! Everything was going fine with us and then you just disappeared!"

"Wolf," Scarlet says, holding his arms to calm him down. "I'm not moving on from you. I'm talking about my father."

Wolf eases up a little. "What?"

Scarlet pulls out a letter from her back pocket. Specifically, it was the letter she received the moment before she left for France. Wolf slowly opens it and even though it's in French, he can understand the word government and France, knowing that whatever it says, it's important and needed an immediate response. Wolf stops skimming a letter he doesn't really understand and looks at her for an explanation.

"I got subpoenaed," Scarlet tells him. "Don't ask why because I'm not sure which means that I don't know how it will end."

Wolf slowly nods, folding up the letter and passing it back to her. Scarlet takes it and hurriedly puts it in her pocket. She looks back at Wolf for him to say something because she isn't sure what to do about this conversation now. To be frank, she is still trying to process that he's actually here, standing in front of her, in France.

"You're so impulsive…" Wolf tells her. "You do things without thinking."

Scarlet feels tears coming to her eyes. Those words stab her in the heart because they're true but still, she needed to be strong. She still has a big day ahead of her.

"It was a subpoena," she argues softly, "I didn't have to think because it was an order."

"No, baby, it's not only that." He takes a step closer to her but she shakes her head and steps back. Wolf sighs as he stops. "Even if the letter merely _suggested_ for you to go, you would've fled. You're like that about everything. You became my girlfriend in an instant, you got a tattoo, you ran away from France as a child, and now you ran back. Scarlet, I was so worried for you."

Scarlet looks at the ground, directly at her combat boots. She repeats the thought of not crying in her head because she cannot deal with her tears right now. She feels them forming in her eyes but she makes sure they stay there. Scarlet looks back up at Wolf and to her surprise, he's already crying for her. Scarlet doesn't remember ever seeing Wolf cry. _Her Big Bad Wolf is crying for her._ She knows that they're a couple that rarely argues but like this argument, it was a fight for love and Wolf's tears only showed her that he meant to show up here and tell her the truth. Scarlet's mouth opens a little in surprise as a tear falls down her cheek. Seeing the person she loves more than herself with tears falling down his fragile cheeks hurt her more than she could ever imagine.

Scarlet made those choices because she wasn't sure what she wanted, but she sure as spades knows that she doesn't want to see Wolf cry.

"Wolf, I - "

He shakes his head, cutting her off. "I learned this from some stupid French movie that was on the plane and the response made me guess what it meant so bear with me. Je t'aime, Scarlet."

Scarlet doesn't hesitate to rise up and kisses him. Suddenly, Wolf leans over and kisses her harder. His hands grip the side of her face and Scarlet gasps with surprise as she wraps her arms around his neck to hold onto something. It felt as if he forgot they were in public and they were the only two people in existence. His lips press against hers and when hers parted, his kiss became more gentle yet urgent.

Things were different from when they kissed the first time and every time up to now. Those were spontaneous. Now, it feels like they were kissing again because gravity demanded it. Every time they kiss, they can't deny the electricity that flows throughout their bodies. Her heart beats so fast that she thought she might faint.

His hands move downwards just to prep her up and that's where she cuts him off. Wolf grins uncontrollably, wanting to do that all over again but Scarlet holds him off even though she wants the same.

"And you called me the impulsive one," Scarlet mutters with a smirk on her face.

"You're tempting," Wolf replies.

"In that case, don't take my response seriously when I say yes to marry you," she teases. "It might be too _impulsive._ "

Wolf glares at her as Émilie steps out of the café, having assumed by what she saw through the window that their argument was done. She shuffles out, dragging Wolf's small suitcase with one hand and holding their food and drinks with the other (she even bought him some stuff as well). Émilie parks in between them, looking alternatively between Scarlet and Wolf, mostly Scarlet so she could explain Wolf to her.

"Il est vraiment beau, Scarlet, et il a voyagé ici seulement pour vous trouver," Émilie tells her. "Donc, il est parfait. Pourquoi êtes-vous cachés ce dieu par moi?"

Scarlet gives Émilie an annoyed look. "Now's not the time. We have to be at court in an hour. Émilie, can you please call a cab?"

"D'accord." She unwillingly steps aside to do so, leaving Scarlet and Wolf alone again.

"I'm not translating a word she said," Scarlet tells him. "But that's my childhood friend, Émilie. You've met her. But on a serious note, I don't know what'll happen later today. Will you come with me?"

"Of course," Wolf says, putting his arm around her. "Was I supposed to dress up or something?"

"Don't worry, fine boy, you look good in anything!" Émilie exclaims from nearby with a small wink.

"Arrête!" Scarlet exclaims at her.

* * *

 **French Translations: "Hello, handsome." / "Okay…" / "What a tempting name." / "I love you, Scarlet." / "He is very handsome, Scarlet, and he travelled here only to find you. Therefore, he is perfect. Why did you hide this god from me?" / "Okay." / "Stop!"  
**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please vote in the poll if you haven't. Votes will also be accepted in the reviews.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- Now that you know that Scarlet has been subpoenaed, find out how her court session will go…**


	88. A Study in Scarlet: Part Eight

**School got cancelled because of "extreme weather conditions" and it 7:00 AM so I might as well update!**

 ** _Recap_** **\- Wolf found Scarlet and she revealed that she ran away to France because she got subpoenaed.**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Eight

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

On the cab ride to the courthouse, Scarlet takes her phone out of her blazer pocket and turns it on for the first time since she arrived in France. She chokes on her own breath as she sees the stream of missed messages and calls. Wolf laughs to himself as he rests his head on her shoulder and she marks them all as read, going straight to their group chat. While all this was going on, Émilie was explaining the whole café drama to the cab driver who seemed so invested in it.

 _Group Chat - Locating Scarlet Expedition Squad_

 _Scarlet: I know that I owe you guys a lot of explanations but I don't have a lot of time._

 _Scarlet: I'm in France - which you guys already know. I'm safe. It was an absolute emergency._

 _Jacin: Why am I in this group chat?_

 _Scarlet: Really? I'M IN FRANCE AND THAT'S YOUR RESPONSE!_

 _Jacin: *shrugging emoji* Bonjour?_

 _Carswell: SCARLET YOU'RE ALIVE *crying emojis*_

 _Scarlet: Never in my life would I be happy to get a message from Carswell._

 _Jacin: *eye-rolling emojis*_

 _Carswell: I'M GOING TO LET THAT BIRTH NAME SLIDE BECAUSE YOU'RE ALIVE *crying emojis*_

 _Cress: Wait, you're with Wolf, right?_

"Babe," Scarlet says, getting his attention.

Wolf sits up as Scarlet opens the camera on her messages. She lifts her chin and smiles brightly as Wolf kisses her curls. She doesn't check to see if the photo was good because she knows that it is because it has her and Wolf happy in it. It takes a bit longer for it to send but it was well worth it. The responses made her extremely happy.

 _Cress: WOLFLET FOR LIFE *pattern of crying emojis and hearts*_

 _Kai: How did he find you so fast?_

 _Cinder: Wolves love a good hunt._

 _Winter: ;)_

 _Carswell: So, where are you two heading? Back home?_

 _Scarlet: Courthouse._

 _Cress: *shocked emojis*_

 _Kai: What?_

 _Cress: *continued shocked emojis*_

 _Jacin: How do I remove myself from here?_

 _Winter: ARE YOU TWO GETTING MARRIED?!_

Scarlet looks up from her phone and at Wolf, showing him the messages since he isn't following along. "Why would they think we were getting married?"

Wolf hesitates as he shifts his position in his seat. Scarlet eyes him and Émilie and the cab driver turn around to see what his answer would be. Wolf knows that his friends are talking about his Plan B to getting Scarlet back if she got deported, marry the girl so she could take his Earthen citizenship. She narrows her eyes at him and he grins.

"If we get there early…" Wolf hesitates.

"No," Scarlet replies, smiling.

"Come on, Scarlet…" Émilie begs. "I will be your witness and our cabbie will drive you to a destination honeymoon."

"Je voudrais," the cab driver says enthusiastically.

"No," Scarlet confirms.

Scarlet goes back to her phone as Émilie starts rambling to Wolf and the cab driver about the wedding she has planned in her head. Scarlet rolls her eyes, tuning out all of Émilie's babbles even though Wolf and the cab driver show extreme interest towards that.

 _Scarlet: In all honesty, the French government sent me a subpoena._

There are no responses at first but then, they all come at once.

 _Winter: Hold up, isn't there some legal process that had to happen? I mean, France and Commonwealth have different law systems so France can't just SEND you a subpoena._

 _Scarlet: Well, they did and I don't want to go to jail._

 _Cinder: You should've gotten Levana as your lawyer even if she isn't practicing. She would've given legal advice without charging you._

 _Kai: Subpoenaed?!_

 _Jacin: Oh, I'm loving this group chat now._

 _Scarlet: *narrowed-eyes emoji*_

 _Thorne: I just looked up what a subpoena was and WHAT?!_

 _Scarlet: That's all I know about it. I have no clue what's going to happen and I'm really scared to find out what it is._

-o-

Scarlet enters the courthouse with Wolf and Émilie behind her. Official-looking people in their business suits and their briefcases rush by her, yelling at one another. They scream so fast that it sounds like an engine in her ear. She _definitely_ doesn't belong here, but the government ordered her to come and she obeyed. Scarlet takes a breath as she pulls her subpoena out of her pocket to see where in the courthouse she's supposed to be.

She's almost there, but all of this began with this little girl who had no prospects, who barely knew what love was. Being here is a testament to towering female strength showing that she will not only survive this but figure it out.

Scarlet finds the room number and it was no help because she has no clue where the room is located. She looks around and stops breathing when she sees an actual ghost from her past nearby.

His short hair was still as curly as hers but retained its dark brown color with some strands of grey. He had a beard over his jawline but that didn't stop her from recognizing him. He looked thinner, probably from all the alcohol, and now he was standing here in a tuxedo beside someone who she can only assume is his lawyer, also because of the alcohol. _It's always the alcohol, isn't it?_ His face has more fine lines _but she still recognizes him_.

Scarlet finally knows what she's here. It never had anything to do with custody. Émilie sent her the email about her father getting arrested. Seeing him in the courthouse makes sense now. Why else would a criminal call his estranged daughter who he hasn't seen for a decade the moment he gets arrested? She isn't quite sure, but she'll have to find out soon. Scarlet stands there with a blank mind the longer she looks at him. That is, until her anger reaches the surface, causing her to act in a blind rage.

"Scarlet!" Wolf yells but she's already gone.

Before he goes running after her, Émilie stops him. Wolf turns and sees the spooked expression on her face as she figures out where Scarlet is going. Émile mutters something in French under her breath. Wolf looks back and forth, connecting the two pieces of the puzzle.

"Who is that man?" Wolf asks, showing concern.

"Her father," Émilie responds.

Wolf remains quiet as he nods his head, trying to figure out this situation now that he knows that. "Her father got arrested. Aces…that's probably what this is about."

"Nobody gets subpoenaed to a criminal court case just to watch," Émilie says.

Wolf sighs. "She'll have to testify."

"Maybe we should've gotten her a lawyer..." Émilie mutters.

Scarlet stops marching over the moment her father looks and sees her. His possibly fake look of surprise sends shivers down her spine. It's like he was trying to accept the fact that his daughter actually showed up despite the decade-long timeframe, and how much she grew up in that decade.

"Scarlet? Vous - vous êtes ici?" Her father, Luc Benoit, asks in disbelief.

"J'ai pas un choix!" She screams, shoving the subpoena in his hands. "What did you do?"

Her father doesn't answer. Instead, the man in the suit beside him takes over. "Mademoiselle Benoit, I am your father's lawyer. You are here to testify on your father's behalf. He was caught in an incident involving a DUI, acts of violence, and vandalism in a public area."

Scarlet scoffs. "Pas mon problème."

"The prosecution and I will be asking you questions revolving mostly around your father's character to give the jury a full picture of his character. That is why we have called you in here today. Your father has faced some jail time up to this point but at the end of the day, your father will not be going back but will face different consequences - freedom with a record, charges for the damages or rehabilitation. It all depends on where this goes."

"Aces, this justice system…" Scarlet laughs a little to herself. "I have nothing helpful to say. I can't give a character profile because I don't knw him. What looks good about a runaway daughter?"

Her Dad steps closer to her. "I'm sorry, Scarlet. You deserve so much better than me and your mother. My stars, just look at you - I can't believe how beautiful you've gotten and I just know that you are smarter than both your mother and I combined."

Scarlet starts to shake her head. She knows that he's trying to charm her so that she'll obey. "Stop…"

"I am still your father, Scarlet."

"On my birth certificate, definitely, but I stopped thinking of you that way the moment I started packing when I was seven."

The lawyer cuts back in and Scarlet narrows her eyes. "Mademoiselle Benoit, before the court session, it would be wise for us to rehearse some answers."

"Baise-toi." Scarlet points directly at him with glowering eyes. "You are _not_ my lawyer."

"Scarlet, s'il vous plaît - " He pleads before she cuts him off.

"I don't want to hear it, Dad. Did you think your subpoena said _s'il vous plaît?_ Non, alors, I will meet you in the courtroom and that will be the last time I _ever_ see you."

Scarlet turns around and walks away. Angry tears sting her eyes as she tries to blink them away. These people know nothing about her, especially her father, and yet, their words sting. When they fall out, she harshly rubs them away.

So after this criminal incident, her father either gets off completely, pays for the damages caused or goes to rehab. _That. Was. It._ Whatever her testimony was going to be, whether for or against him, it will still help him. He was going to be getting leverage in some way because, like always, _he always wins._ But at this point, it doesn't matter to her. After today, she is completely done with her father.

"I just want to go home…" Scarlet mutters as Wolf wraps his arms around her and kisses the side of her head.

-o-

Moments later, Scarlet finds herself standing in a full courtroom. In front of her is the judge sitting officially in his wrinkle-free robe and stoic expression all the way up in his bench. She swore an oath to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth before making her way around and taking a seat in the witness stand just beside the judge but closer to the ground. The cold leather seat sends a shock up her entire body but she shivers it away.

Before her eyes is the entire courtroom: the prosecution sits in front of her and her father and his defence lawyer sit parallel to them. The jury is off to the side and spectators are behind the lawyers. She glances at Émilie who smiles brightly at her with an additional thumbs-up, giving her hope. She looks at Wolf and he smiles lazily as he winks at her: a little wink that promises that everything will be okay.

Scarlet was raised by her Grandmère to be honest, but the truth is always complicated. It doesn't matter if the truth won't make a mess because something becomes scattered in the process. Clean slates are never guaranteed. Sometimes, the truth is a secret you're keeping from yourself because living a lie is easier.

The prosecution steps up first and walks in front of her. "Mademoiselle Benoit, you made the choice on your own as a seven-year-old girl to leave your father and go live with your paternal grandmother in Commonwealth, The Earthen Union, correct?"

"Yes," Scarlet responds.

"And just before you left France, your mother left the family, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where she is?"

Scarlet shrugs. "She didn't even say goodbye to me."

"Do you know why she left?"

Scarlet almost jumps out of her seat when her father's lawyer unexpectedly stands up and objects, calling for a speculation. Her heart rate accelerates as the prosecution tells the judge that he is just giving the jury a full perspective of her family life as a child. This situation intensifies for Scarlet and she is tempted to run right out of the courtroom. This was going to be A Study in Scarlet and she didn't like this one bit.

"Sustained," the judge says. _Scarlet has no clue what that word means but her father's lawyer sat down looking pissed which makes her happy._

"Mademoiselle Benoit?"

Scarlet snaps back into reality, looking at the prosecution. "From how I understood it as a child, Mom left me because I reminded her of Dad."

"And how did your father treat you after that?"

"Dad emotionally abused and rejected me and I assume it was because I reminded him of Mom."

"I rest my case."

The prosecution heads back to his table and Scarlet feels inclined to follow him, but her father's lawyer stands up and approaches her. Scarlet sinks back in her seat and glares at him the closer he gets. Of course, he had to question her now. He just _had_ to get some answers that would glamorize her terrible father.

"Mademoiselle Benoit," he starts, "when did your father become dependant on alcohol?"

"Before my mom left, they fought a lot and after a fight, he would drink until he passed out," she says, forcing herself to look at her father who's already locking eyes with her. "The more they fought, the more he drank. Then, mom left and I don't remember ever seeing him sober."

Scarlet watches her father lean back in his chair, feeling uneasy. She looks away.

"Why did you leave France?"

"I reminded my father of my mother just by looks," Scarlet replies. "I didn't want him to start treating me like her."

* * *

 **French Translations - "Bonjour." / "I would." / "Scarlet, you - you're here?!" / "I didn't have a choice!" / "Not my problem." / "Fuck you." / "Please." / "Please….No, so." / (Mademoiselle = Miss)**

 ** _Important -_** **Please go vote on the poll on my page if you have not already! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- After the court day, something happens in Commonwealth that may prompt Wolf to head back early.**


	89. A Study in Scarlet: Part Nine

**Thank you all so much for 200 reviews! (Especially you, LilactheDryad).**

 ** _Recap -_** **Scarlet had to testify for her father in court.**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Nine

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

It felt like they were in there all day even though it has only been hours. Scarlet felt most relieved when the judge told her she could go back to her seat. Sure, she almost fainted while coming out of the witness box, but she was more than excited to finally be done with the questioning. She has been struggling with her family problem a lot more recent that before and now, she doesn't mind. Struggle didn't necessarily make her a better person. It wore her down but made her better. She doesn't have to suffer to be a badass. She isn't her parents or their mistakes. She is simply everything learned from those mistakes.

As for right now, Scarlet sits in the middle of a park bench with Émilie on one side and Wolf on the other. They have cups of partially melted ice cream in their hands as they watch the normal life of French people happen all around them. Nobody would know that they just came out of a courtroom. To them, they're just three teenagers enjoying their lives.

"Émilie and I used to come here as kids," Scarlet tells Wolf.

Émilie nods her head. "We would buy some ice cream and run around the fountain. Whenever we were wearing our galoshes, we would jump in the fountain just to make our curls as heavy as possible."

"We'd jump out when the cop would come and scold us." Scarlet smiles nostalgically, looking down at her ice cream. She takes another spoonful as she looks at Wolf. "I'm sorry your first experience of France was _this_."

"No, no," Wolf says, shaking his head as he puts an arm around her. "I haven't been out of a country since I left Luna as a baby. This was an interesting trip."

Scarlet's mouth drops. "So, this was basically your first plane ride? And you were alone? Your mom let you go alone?"

Wolf sighs in a way that says Scarlet should've asked a different question. "Ma just wished for me to have fun on my school trip."

Émilie holds back her laughter as Scarlet straightens her posture and smacks his leg. Émilie holds up a hand behind Scarlet for Wolf and he high-fives it. Scarlet frowns at Émilie for supporting this but her friend shrugs, excited about this more than she is.

"You lied to your mom and now you're in a different time zone?!" Scarlet asks. "And to think that _you_ called _me_ the impulsive one in our relationship. Hypocrite..."

Wolf gets up to throw away all of their ice cream cups in the nearest trash cans to avoid having this conversation with her. Émilie mutters to Scarlet how this just makes Wolf more wonderful than she already thinks she is and Scarlet rolls her eyes. Scarlet hops up, putting her hands on her hips as she looks at him squarely. When Wolf turns back around, he wipes his hands on his jeans and watches as Scarlet's frown turns into a small smirk.

"Did she get you?" Scarlet eyes Wolf's enchanted expression. Her hair is being tossed around by the wind.

"Get me?" Wolf asks. "Who would get me?"

"France. She looks like she got you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he says, hiding a smile.

"She got you before you landed. That's why you're here. She did the same for me."

Scarlet feels faint as she gazes into his eyes. She laughs as he suddenly wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her towards him. He starts to kiss her tenderly and she stands on her tiptoes to reach him better, but this time, he lifts her in the air. Maybe a part of falling in love with someone else is also falling in love with yourself.

Émilie weeps. "Oh, my Scarlet has had such a life in Commonwealth."

"Émilie approves of you, by the way," Scarlet tells him.

"Oh, I noticed," Wolf replies.

"Can I ask you something?" Scarlet says. "How in the stars did you afford a plane ticket to France? The government covered mine."

"Let's just say that if my ass gets dragged back to Luna on behalf of the Blackburns, it's because I'm repaying a debt."

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

In a coffee shop, Thorne and Cress have colonized a table with their school books with the goal to study. This was technically a study date except Thorne put an emphasis on the _date_ whereas Cress was more focused on the _study_ part. Cress was trying to help him in math because Thorne was on the verge of failing the course overall but, in all honesty, Thorne couldn't care less what x equalled to (especially because they were not solving variables in math anymore). He was more interested in what Cress wanted to do on the weekend. Cress wasn't amused about that at the moment (he should've asked that later).

"Thorne, I'm going to be honest with you," Cress says to him, putting a supportive hand on his forearm. "You're going to fail this test. I love you and all, but there is nothing we can do now."

Thorne shrugs empathetically, throwing his pen on top of their notebooks in an accepted defeat. "If only watching you study is the same as actually studying."

"You're not even watching me study."

"Ah, spades…" He mutters. "You got me there."

Cress smiles a little. "Hey, I have a question for you."

"Is it math related?"

She laughs as she shakes her head. Thorne is relieved. It wasn't until a few seconds ago that he realized they were doing math. He thought they were doing chemistry or something like that. Wow, he really was going to fail.

"Hypothetically speaking, if I did run back to Luna, would you run after me?" Cress asks.

Thorne grins at her. "Babe, I'll be the one picking you up from Luna's airport."

-o-

Kai walks down an aisle of the grocery store, whistling to himself as he picked up a package of cookies from the shelf. He continues walking through the grocery store, not really knowing what to buy considering he's only shopping for himself. The benefit of being alone is that you only need to shop for your own personal needs and could even indulge in personal desires. The only downfall is, well, being alone.

Kai spots Wolf's mom in the store as well. She sees him as well and doesn't think much of it at first. Then, when she walks up to him to say hello, he instantly remembers that Wolf is in France and his whistling stops.

"Hello, Kai," she says in a welcoming tone.

It was like Kai forgot how to communicate in that moment of time. He isn't sure what part of his brain let him say this. He blames his mouth for taking it right out of his head right before his mind could put that sentence in the 'do not say' bin.

"Wolf went to France to look for Scarlet," Kai says to her. "She ran away and all that, but don't worry. He's fine and so is she."

Kai immediately closes his mouth and wants to flee from the situation. He watches as Wolf's mom wraps her mind about what he said. Kai crosses his fingers, wishing the stars that Wolf's mom will laugh it off as a joke but she doesn't. Instead, she looks to be thinking everything over and she eventually believes it. Kai curses to himself as Wolf's mom does the same in Hebrew.

Maybe Kai should just run away to France now.

-o-

 _[Group Chat - Locating Scarlet Expedition Squad]_

 _Kai: Hey, Wolf, coming home anytime soon?_

 _Wolf: Why? What did Thorne do?_

 _Thorne: I'M GOING TO FAIL MATH *crying emojis*_

 _Jacin: *endless laughing emojis*_

 _Cress: It'd be a miracle if he passes._

 _Jacin: retweet._

 _Cinder: Remember, Thorne, you're allowed to use a calculator._

 _Cinder: and not the one on your phone *laughing emojis*_

 _Jacin: re-spading-tweet._

 _Thorne: *glaring emojis*_

 _Wolf: What. Happened._

 _Jacin: This ought to be good._

 _Kai: So, Wolf…_

 _Kai: I kind of ran into your mom at the grocery store and may or may not have revealed that you were actually in France with Scarlet._

 _[chat goes dead]_

 _[chat comes back to life]_

 _Winter: We expected this from Thorne._

 _Thorne: Even I expected this from Thorne. *single laughing emoji*_

 _Scarlet: Well, spades, his mom hates me now._

 _Winter: Lol you should just stay in France at this point._

 _Wolf: Forget about her hating you, I will never be able to leave the house again!_

 _Winter: I just offered the idea of staying in France._

 _Kai: Sorry…_

 _Wolf: No, don't be._

 _Jacin: It's because Lunars have this gift or something where they hypnotize you into revealing your secrets._

 _Wolf: EXACTLY!_

 _Cinder: That's ridiculous._

 _Winter: We totally do. It's why Artemisian people are so unfazed by everything. And basically everyone else in Luna._

 _Cress: Some of us don't even have to try._

 _Thorne: *coughs* WINTER *coughs*_

 _Scarlet: retweet._

 _Kai: actually, yeah, I believe that._

 _Cress: So, Scarlet, everything good with your dad and all that?_

 _Scarlet: I don't know. I did my part. I'll let you all know when I hear anything or decide to run away again._

* * *

 **If you spotted the foreshadowing in there, I applaud you!**

 ** _Important_** **\- Go vote on the poll on my page! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews below!**

 ** _Stay Tuned -_** **Their time in France is coming to an end. What will it be like for their return to Commonwealth?**


	90. A Study in Scarlet: Part Ten

**I know some of you have been wondering where I got the French translations from. For the most part, I did them myself because I speak French (not 100% fluent but I'm also a French major) and some phrases or conjugations I've never used before were from WordReference or Google Translate.**

 ** _Recap_** **\- after Kai accidentally revealed to Wolf's mom that he actually went to France to get Scarlet, Scarlet and Wolf plan to head back home.**

* * *

A Study in Scarlet: Part Ten

 _Paris, France, The European Federation_

Émilie has been hugging Scarlet ever since they stepped into the airport and Scarlet has been holding her as well. They just unexpectedly reconnected for the first time in a decade and now, it had to be cut short. While the two girls embraced in one another, Wolf had to not only drag his and Scarlet's bag but he had to check them both in. He would've personally loved to stay in France for a few more days, but if his trip went any longer, his mom would've killed him. And now that his mom knows the truth of where he is, she is definitely going to kill him.

"You better stay in touch with me," Émilie tells Scarlet.

"Je promis," Scarlet responds.

"And you better not break up with him."

Émilie winks in Wolf's direction. He is too busy handling their passports to notice. Scarlet cringes a little at Émilie's comment before grinning to herself the longer she looks at Wolf.

"Je promis pas," Scarlet says before getting nudged by Émilie. "But I have a feeling he wouldn't let me."

"Next time you come back, please bring him."

"In your dreams."

"That's where he'll be." Émilie giggles to herself as Scarlet rolls her eyes.

Goodbyes almost never feel real which is why they're always so hard. That's why Scarlet always avoids them by just running away. She doesn't know how to miss people who are still right in front of her.

-o-

 _Commonwealth, The Earthen Union_

Hours later at Commonwealth's airport, everyone sits in anticipation for Scarlet and Wolf to arrive. Their plane had no delays and was expected to come on time, but it was still nerve-wracking for them. What if something happened last minute? What if they decided to skip out on the flight and just live in France forever? Anything could happen while they just wait like sitting ducks.

"Are they here yet?" Thorne asks like an annoying child stuck in the backseat of a road trip.

Nobody answers because that would just start a conversation that nobody wants to be in.

"I'm glad I have you guys because you're all good for me," Cress says out-of-the-blue. "I'm getting better at interfacing with real-life humans on a near-daily basis."

It's probably the slim possibility of Scarlet and Wolf not coming back that prompted her to say that.

"That's kind of sad," Cinder says bluntly.

Cress narrows her eyes at her as Cinder smiles with a small shrug. Kai has to pull Cinder to the side and let her know that she shouldn't really say stuff like that. Lucky for Cress, she didn't take it that seriously and knows that it's sad. Also, Winter hugs her from behind.

"That's beautiful," Winter tells her.

"I see them!" Thorne says. "Mom and Dad are home!"

Thorne points excitedly, jumping up and down before sprinting over in their direction. They all look over and see Scarlet and Wolf coming in, hand-in-hand. The two of them smile out of pour joy when they see them, even when Thorne jumps into their arms. Wolf gags at Thorne's affection and pries Thorne off of him to go see the others, but Scarlet actually goes through with the hug which surprises everyone, especially Thorne.

"Wow, something bad must have happened in France if you came back hugging me," Thorne says to Scarlet.

"I learned that I don't hate you the most," Scarlet replies.

Thorne starts to weep because that was probably the nicest thing that Scarlet has ever said to him. That quote will forever be in his mind. Scarlet heads over to the others for their hellos as well, each of them getting their own hug of some sorts.

"Hey, Wolf," Kai says.

"Yeah?" Wolf responds.

"Run."

Wolf is thrown off for a bit before he hears some angry Hebrew in the background. He turns around and sees his pissed-off mother making her way over. How did she know that he was here? Mother's instinct, he would assume. Wolf stands there sheepishly as his mother charges towards him like a raging bull. His friends and even Scarlet have backed away to generously give him all the room he needs to handle this.

"France?!" His mom yells at him. "You seriously went to France?!"

"Oui…" Wolf responds in the worst French accent possible. Scarlet bites down on her lips, trying not to laugh because his mom is so not having this.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?!"

Wolf nods. Then, he turns around and grabs Scarlet's arm. "Ma, meet Scarlet."

Wolf's mom puts her hands on her hips as she looks at Scarlet from head-to-toe. Her eyes are narrowed as if she was focused on studying her. Despite Scarlet being a bit taller than his mom, she still felt intimidated. This was literally the worst time ever to be meeting her boyfriend's mom. Then again, Wolf got a glance at her father during his criminal court trial so, in theory, this was a better odd.

"So, you're the girl that my boy left the country for?" Maha asks her.

"Nope!" Scarlet exclaims sarcastically. "Never met him in my life. He kind of just followed me around like a lost puppy until I agreed to hold his hand and take him home."

Wolf facepalms as Scarlet smirks at his mom and their friends are holding back their laughter this time. Scarlet links her arm with Wolf's with one arm and uses the other to extend her hand outwards towards his mom who skeptically shakes it lightly.

"I like her," Maha says to him. "She's pretty and funny. I don't know what she sees in you considering that you run away. Clearly, you have separation issues."

"Oh, _I'm_ the one who runs away?!" Wolf exclaims sarcastically. "Ma, you should hear Scarlet's story - "

"Don't go screaming in public, Ze'ev, people are staring."

Wolf narrows his eyes at his mom mostly because nobody was staring at them. "Ma, let's continue this conversation at home."

He kisses the side of Scarlet's head before waving goodbye to all of his friends. This might be the last time he ever sees them. They all wave back Wolf and his mom walk out, still sort-of arguing with one another about who-knows-what. Scarlet turns back around to her friends excitedly as she bends down to unzip the smallest pocket of her suitcase. She pulls out a small plastic back and holds it out for them.

"Have some souvenirs!" Scarlet exclaims at them.

She laughs as they start tearing through the bag.

-o-

Scarlet opens the front door and hears her Grandmère call her name. She responds, happy that she timed this right. By her calculations, her Grandmère just came home so she will never know that she went to France. She could just play off that she just came back from school or work, and her Grandmère will never know. Scarlet walks down the hallway, heading to her room but stops abruptly when her Grandmère comes out of the storage room. Scarlet assumed she was in the kitchen.

Her Grandmère looks at Scarlet and her suitcase alternatively. She connects the two pieces in her head and frowns at Scarlet, waiting for an explanation.

"I got subpoenaed the day you left," Scarlet explains. "Dad ended up going to trial and they wanted me to testify."

Grandmère blinks in shock. "Wow…how is your father?"

Scarlet shrugs. "Still trying to play the victim card."

She scoffs. "Typical of him. So, what did the jury say?"

Scarlet shrugs again. "Émilie will tell me when she finds out. I've been told all the possible results and from what I said and the evidence they have, the best option he can get is just the least bad."

"D'accord, Scarlet…" She takes a deep breath. "How are you feeling about this?"

Scarlet smiles a little. "Better now."

* * *

 **French Translations: "I promise." / "I don't promise." / "Yes." / "Okay, Scarlet…"**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please go vote on the poll on my page! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews.**

 **As for now, take a guess on who the next arc will be named after!**


	91. Act of Kai-ndness: Part One

**S/O to a wonderful person who messaged me on Wattpad. This chapter is up because of them :)**

 **Kai is definitely the hardest person to name arcs after…or maybe Cinder is. Whatever. Kaider is difficult in this sense. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part One

"Cinder, Cinder, Cinder!"

Cinder wakes up in an extreme shock. She rubs her face awake as she looks ahead to see a startled Winter in her pyjamas, kneeling on her bed. For a moment, Cinder thinks that it's some absolute emergency because why else would Winter wake her up in such a panic. Maybe Levana was in trouble…but then again, Levana was always either the silent cause of trouble or the calm survivor of chaos. There was no in-between.

"Our alarm didn't go off!" Winter exclaims. "Levana must have left early to help the mayoral campaign so she didn't wake us when our phones remained silent."

"Clearly, it did," Cinder says, poking right in the centre of Winter's forehead. She goes back to lying in bed and falling back to sleep.

"School starts in ten minutes and you know what their uncalled late policies are."

CInder's eyes open instantly. She jumps out of bed, almost knocking Winter right to the floor. She instantly strips off her pyjamas and throws on the first ensemble of uniform she could find, unaware of whether or not it was clean or on top of her laundry pile. (Not that she really cared. Besides, it was most likely from the latter). Winter hops off of Cinder's bed and skips back to her room to get ready. For someone who woke her up in a panic, Winter seemed to be taking her dear, sweet time.

There was no way in the stars that she and Winter were going to stay after school in detention.

Once dressed, Cinder rushes to the bathroom and slobbers some toothpaste onto her toothbrush before shoving it into her mouth. She looks at her reflection and almost chokes on her toothbrush. Her bedhead was more repulsive than usual. No wonder Levana always yelled at her to brush her hair. Well, whatever. She has no time. She just redoes her messy ponytail into an even less messy version because it was better than whatever tumbleweed was in her reflection. Then, she spits into the sink and rushes out, hopping down the hallway as she puts on her shoes.

Cinder stumbles, seeing Winter in her bathroom. She was already dressed but taking her time doing her makeup.

"Seriously?!" Cinder asks. "We are in a rush."

"Give me a second to finish my eyeliner - !"

Cinder already grabbed Winter before she could finish her sentence and her eyeliner. They grab their bags and head out the door, seeing if they could make it to school and in class in five minutes. May the stars be ever in their favour.

-o-

They arrived at school twenty minutes late and got scolded for speeding in the parking lot and their uniform violations. Lucky for them, they did not get detention from the teacher who stopped them. To get out of their dress code problems, they approach the nearest locker they know which just so happened to be Kai's. Cinder quickly enters his locker combination and opens it, changing into a pair of black shoes that she just so happened to have in all of her friends' lockers as Winter hangs her jacket. Then, the girls start speed-walking to class.

They make it to class and the teacher smiles when they enter. What surprised them is that it looked like a smile that was nowhere near the mention of a tardiness detention.

"Cinder, I'm glad you got well enough to make it today," their teacher tells them. "Winter, good to see you as well."

The Blackburn girls exchange awkward smiles as they awkwardly make their way to their seats by their other friends.

"What was that about?" Winter asks them.

"I told her that Cinder was having stomach problems this morning and might be running late," Thorne explains.

Winter bites down on her lips to hold back her laughter as Cinder narrows her eyes at him. Thorne smiles with a small and innocent shrug. Now, Cinder was grouchy: mainly at Thorne but really at her other so-called _friends_ for letting Thorne get away with it. She looks at Winter to say something, but Winter was already in pursuit of finishing her eyeliner to make it as perfect as possible. Easy for her to do since Winter wasn't the one with apparent stomach problems.

"Lighten up, Cinder," Scarlet says encouragingly.

"Nothing makes me want to lighten up less than someone telling me to lighten up," Cinder says before slumping into her seat. "It's too early for these spades."

"I never defend Thorne, but he did a nice thing for you and Winter, debatably, of course."

Thorne smiles like an angel with a halo on his head which makes Cinder want to initiate her fake stomach issues and vomit all over him.

"Too much of my time is spent discussing ways to avoid you," Cinder says to him. "I need to limit my toxic exposure to you."

Thorne starts to fake a sob. "Are we breaking up?"

Scarlet fakes a gasp before laughing. Cinder rolls her eyes before looking at Cress, Kai, and Wolf for help but they were too preoccupied with Winter finishing her makeup. It's no joke, they were fixed on it as if it was some new form of hypnosis. Cinder thinks to herself how she really needs some new friends.

Winter pulls out a handful of lipsticks from a side pocket in her backpack. She puts them on her desk and starts opening them to swatch them. Winter looks at her forearm but sees that she's wearing the long sleeve uniform which was nearly impossible to roll up. She looks around and most of her friends were also wearing the long sleeves or the pullover sweaters. That is, except for Wolf who was wearing the polo. She takes his forearm and starts swatching. Wolf didn't even bother trying to stop her because there was no point since she already started (and the lipsticks oddly smelled like cake batter which he liked).

"I like that one," Cress says, pointing at a swatch.

"This one's nice," Kai says, pointing at another swatch.

"What about you, Wolf?" Winter asks.

Wolf lifts his forearm to take a better look at the swatches. "I honestly don't care."

"Pick my swatch!" Kai exclaims at him.

"What the stars, Kai?" Cinder asks him. She didn't think that Kai would be competitive over lipstick swatches.

"Yeah," Wolf adds. "Why take makeup offers from you?"

Wolf laughs as Kai mimics him.

"What can I say?" Kai asks rhetorically. "People are mean, people are kind, people are bad. We're all human - well, Cinder might not be."

Cinder takes a short breath. "…I can't with the cyborg stuff."

"Don't tell me it's too early for that too," Scarlet says with a little laugh in her voice.

"Shut it, Scarlet."

Scarlet spitefully winks at her with a tinge of play in her action.

"I may be the one taking all the credit for what I said, but all of this was Kai's idea," Thorne says to Cinder. "It was all his act of kindness to tell the teacher an excuse that I made up so you and Winter wouldn't be marked late. What a good boyfriend."

"Or good ex-boyfriend…" Cinder mumbles sarcastically.

Cress gasps at the sound of one of her relationship goals breaking up. Cinder turns around and stares at her, needing to verify that she and Kai are actually not going to break up.

"Or maybe it was more of an act of Kai-ndness," Cress mutters happily.

Cinder rolls her eyes as she looks at her not-ex-boyfriend. "Oh, and by the way, Winter and I dumped your stuff in your locker."

"Wait, what?" Kai questions.

"I actually like that shade called Seedless," Wolf tells Winter, pointing at a swatch on his arm.

"Wait, what?" Winter questions, shocked that Wolf actually bothered to cooperate.

* * *

 ** _Important_ \- please go vote in the poll if you haven't already! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned -_** **Commonwealth is in the midst of campaign season for a new mayor and the pressure of the municipal elections starts to take a toll on Kai.**


	92. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Two

**Shoutout to a lovely person out there who wanted an update :)**

 **There's no recap necessary here because the previous chapter really has nothing to do with this one and honestly, I don't even remember what happened in the last chapter. (I'm writing this like two months later than I did the last one).**

 **(And, ironically, posting it another couple of months later).**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Two

Kai sits in his class with the pen in his hand flicking against his notebook. He watches attentively as the teacher explains the slideshow presentation. However, he only looks as if he's paying attention. Everything the teacher says goes right over his head. In fact, what he really hears is the teacher talking about the upcoming municipal election.

Kai knows that this scenario is fake because it's all in his head, but the information is real.

Election day is closer than he thought. Kai tries not to pay attention to it because his dad is brought up in every news report and debate. This brings back memories of when his dad died which cause his emotions to spiral downward. He listens to what the opposition says and how Torin fights back. Every argument and every rebuttal plays like a broken record in his mind. The constantly changing poll numbers make him queasy because one minute, Torin's in the lead and the next, he's not.

A part of him doesn't understand why people can't just stick with an opinion. But at the same time, he completely understands.

Sometimes, the press finds and hounds him with questions on his views and what he thinks should happen with Commonweath. Kai would just murmur something vague which only bites him later on when it gets interpreted wrong (or right because he isn't even sure what he meant most of the time). Then, he would run off and when he was alone, he would just cry because that reality is now his life.

He's only happy that the school upped its security to ward off the press of those political activists, and the same for his gated neighbourhood. His neighbours are super kind enough to bear through this because they could never imagine what he's going through, especially at his age. And they know that if this was to happen to them and their kids, Kai's father would do the same thing and more for them. Then, there are Kai's friends and girlfriend who are just everything to him right now. Kai isn't sure if he would've made it out of this alive without them.

Kai's thoughts disappear for the moment and he's back in class. He sees that the teacher's finished and that he missed everything. Kai sighs and notices a notebook sliding onto his desk from the one next to him. He looks over and sees Cress smiling at him.

"I noticed you were in the stars so just take a picture if you want," Cress says.

"Thank you so much," Kai says as he pulls his phone out.

"Act of Kai-ndness," Cress mutters happily.

"No, Cress, seriously. Thank you."

Cress is a little surprised by his persistence on being thankful but she accepts it. "You're welcome."

-o-

 _Group Chat - Testosterone Zone_

 _Cadet Clay: who the stars changed the group chat name this time?_

 _Captain Thorne: I did._

 _Crewmate Kai: You are aware that girls have testosterone as well, right?_

 _Captain Thorne: ..._

 _Crewmate Kai: That answers my question._

 _Crewmate Wolf: And you have a bit of estrogen in you._

 _Thorne: *shocked face emoji* bUt I'm not a girl!_

 _Crewmate Kai: *facepalm emoji*_

 _Cadet Clay: The construct of gender is blurred so are we who we think we are or are we really what society labels us as?_

Thorne looks up from his phone, suddenly confused about the biology of humans. He tries to think it over and try to make sense of it, but it hurts his brain. He thinks that he could just search it up on the internet, but he knows better than to do that because it may not be trustworthy. Instead, since he's in class, he puts up his hand because his teacher should know the answer.

"Yes, Thorne?" The teacher calls.

"Do girls have testosterone?" Thorne asks.

The class snickers amongst themselves as the teacher looks confused. For a moment, the teacher thinks that Thorne is just being a class clown but when Thorne isn't laughing, he knows that he's serious.

"Thorne, we're in English class," he says.

"True..." Thorne responds, thinking that over with a few small nods. "So, do boys have estrogen?"

Thorne never gets his answer. The teacher just goes back to explaining the novel Thorne didn't read. Thorne simply shrugs his shoulders and goes back to his phone.

 _[Cadet Clay changed the name of this chat to "Thorne's Bio Class"]_

 _[Crewmate Wolf changed the name of this chat to "Thorne's Existential Crisis"]_

 _[Crewmate Kai changed the name of this chat to "Thorne's Biological Crisis"]_

Thorne hates them. If this was a real ship, he would kick them all off. But then, he would save them and let them back on because he wouldn't want to be alone.

-o-

After school, Kai makes his way to his car. He opens the passenger door and throws his bag in the seat. He closes the door and makes his way around to the driver's seat. He starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot. He's about to enter the main road and turns on his signal to turn, but has to stop urgently because he almost hit a reporter who literally showed up out of nowhere to interview him. Then, a whole flock of them show up.

Kai groans as he sinks into his seat miserably. It's not like the school's security could chase them away because the sidewalk is public property and not the school's.

At least he has his car to block him from all the questions. If he had no morals and nothing to lose, he would run them all over.

"This is all harassment!" Someone screams. "It's unprofessional and could get your journalist passes revoked because I'll be the one to report it!"

Slowly, they all break apart and disappear into the city. Kai exhales out of pure relief due to whoever that was. They knock on the passenger window and Kai rolls it down. He turns and sees Wolf leaning in.

"I owe you my life," Kai says as a thanks.

"You know, you could tell them all of that yourself," Wolf suggests.

"My dad might be dead, but I still have an image to maintain which is more important now more than ever," Kai explains. "Gotta keep that campaign image looking good and sharp because it still makes my dad look good and sharp. I can't go off being like a violent teen who's still struck but the sudden death of his father. I'm still that last part but some branches of the media think that I've had enough time to grieve which is disrespectful and stupid to think. Anyways, it makes Torin look bad because he's technically my legal guardian and if he can't take care of me, why should he also inherit my father's city?"

Wolf nods, seeing the points in his argument. "Well, that's why you have me because I can be violent for you. I have nothing to lose. You want me to drive home in case you run into others?"

"After the horror stories of what Cress described as your driving, I'm good." Kai smiles weakly. "Going to jail would make me look even worse."

"I'd say that day was an adventure-turned-romance, not horror."

"Well, I'm in a horror story right now."

Wolf sighs. "You'll get to your happily ever after."

"Or just the ever after part."

* * *

 **The chapters of this arc seem short so far but it's all building up to what its main plot is.**

 ** _Important_ \- please go vote in the poll if you haven't already! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- As Thorne continues to question the human body, Torin tells Kai what he should do about his feelings.**


	93. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Three

**Guess who wrote her last exams today and can now update the rest of this arc before summer school starts?**

 **Don't worry, my lovely readers, there will be Kaider in this arc soon enough. There is a whole chapter just a few updates away dedicated to them. As for right now, all you Cresswell and Wolflet lovers will be stoked for what's ahead.**

 ** _Recap_** **\- After an encounter with the press while leaving school, Kai feels the stress of the municipal elections.**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Three

As Kai pulls up the driveway, he sees Torin's car parked on the curb of the road in front of his house. He enters the driveway and steps out to see Torin sitting on the front patio's bench. When Kai gets out of the car with his backpack thrown over his shoulder, Torin stands up and that's when Kai knows that he's been waiting. Kai quickly pulls out his phone from his pocket and sees endless missed calls from Torin. He just slips his phone back in his pocket and pretends he never saw that.

"Hey," Kai greets when he approaches Torin.

" _Hey_?" Torin repeats, obviously angered. "That's all you can say?"

Kai nods, keeping the rhyme comment to himself.

Torin sighs irritatedly. "Where were you?"

"School and then other places. I can't pick up the phone while driving."

"Look, I know that I'm not your father so I can't parent like him or boss you around, but you have to answer your phone because someone has to watch you and that someone just happens to be me."

"I know," Kai replies, "but like my dad, you're busy and for more or less the same reasons."

Torin sadly nods his head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Election season was always the busiest time of year."

"Kai, I know that you've been telling your friends that you're fine when you're not."

Kai looks at him in shock. "How the stars do you know that?"

"Levana told me. She said that one of her girls told her."

Kai groans, narrowing his eyes. His friends definitely know that he's not okay with his life right now and they're probably treading on the water around him because they don't know how to approach him on this sensitive topic for him. Kai appreciates them even if he doesn't feel like he doesn't want to. If anything, he wants to be alone with this which he kind of already is. He doesn't want to talk about any of this at all because he already thinks about it enough and he doesn't have the energy or willpower to do so.

"Let them in, Kai," Torin encourages softly, "they will be there for you."

Kai nods, avoiding Torin's eyes as he looks in his backpack for his keys. Once he pulls them out, he holds the small metal object in his hands as Torin's last words loop in his mind. All he knows is that when Torin leaves for the night, Kai has another sudden errand to run.

-o-

Wolf opens his door and walks inside first followed by Scarlet. Once Scarlet's inside, Wolf closes the door and his mom comes from somewhere else in the house. When she sees them, Scarlet says hello just as Wolf's mom sighs out of pure relief which confuses them (Wolf more than Scarlet).

"Ma, what is it?" Wolf asks her, sort of not wanting to hear the answer to that.

"Oh, just thanking the stars that you're home," Maha responds.

"Where would we be?"

Maha shrugs casually. "Oh, I'm not sure, try France!"

Wolf rolls his eyes as Maha mutters in Hebrew when she walks away from them. Scarlet chuckles which annoys Wolf even more than when his mom mockingly reprimanded him. That wasn't the first time his mom pulled something like that on him and it certainly will not be the last.

"You do know she was addressing you as well," Wolf tells her.

"Whatever makes you happy, babe," Scarlet responds as she grins at him.

-o-

After being told directions by the secretary, Winter makes her way through the city's municipal headquarters. Even though Winter now knows the directions, she still feels as if she could find her way to where she's going based on the growing chaos around her. It's election time and Winter didn't expect it to be calm around here, especially after the sudden death of Mayor Rikan. Winter thinks of all this cacophony as an accurate representation of what her mind looked like when she was not okay just without all the blood.

Finally, Winter arrives at Levana's office. She knocks as she opens the door just to see Levana as busy as everyone else just without the franticness.

"Winter?" Levana questions. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Dr. Darnel?"

"I was on my way but forgot that I didn't have to go in this week," Winter responds.

"It must be a good thing if you don't have to go in as often. He's doing a good job, right? If not, then this move was pointless."

"Oh, he's great and I'm not being biased because I'm friends with Cress. What makes him different from any of those past therapists is that he knows that people can never truly get fixed. We just have to make peace with who we were and glorify everything that we are. And it helps that he doesn't point fingers at my Blackburn name even though I'm not a Blackburn by blood."

"I was scared he would do that when I first found him considering he was a Lunar who left when Channary's fires were still smoking." Levana sighs contently as she looks at Winter. "Still, what you said about him was nice. You should be the face of this campaign."

Winter scoffs. "I doubt that they would want someone with three scars as their face for the campaign."

"Nonsense, Winter, you are beautiful because of your experiences - the good, the bad, and the imperfect. That is how you are truly a Blackburn: you go through the worse and still come out picture perfect."

Winter smiles. "Thanks, Levana. Are you here alone?"

"For the moment, yes. Torin stepped out to check up on Kai. How is he doing, by the way?"

Winter shrugs. "He's grieving and pretends to be okay when he really isn't. Although he's not at the point where he's seeing things like I was, but Mayor Rikan's death hit him hard."

Levana nods. "I figured."

"Why'd you ask about Kai?"

"I was just wondering how he could grieve if he could barely breathe."

-o-

Having come straight from school, Thorne enters a building he has been aware of but never really ventured inside: the library. Thorne walks inside and notices that it smells like he expected it would: like old books. To be frank, Thorne isn't sure of the last time he read a book and he isn't in the mood to change that answer. Instead, he's on a mission to look for someone who has an answer he desperately needs.

"Crescent Moon!" Thorne yells.

Thorne jumps when everyone shushes him. He mumbles a series of apologies and starts walking around to try and find her. Thorne walks up and down a series of bookshelves, wondering why a library has to have so many of these books. He didn't think or want this to be an adventure because he's on the quest for a specific answer and he will not rest until he knows the true facts.

From his perspective, there was not a more reputable source that Crescent Moon Darnel.

Finally, he sees his Crescent Moon in the corner of the library. She's seated at a table with a little boy who she's tutoring. Thorne runs over and Cress looks up at him in shock that he's here.

"Do girls have testosterone?!" Thorne exclaims, not apologizing for all the shushing he received this time.

At first, Cress doesn't respond because she is confused about why Thorne is here, why he asked that weird question, and why he came here to ask her that question. She also isn't sure why Thorne seems so determined on getting that answer.

"Yes," the little boy being tutored by Cress says to Thorne.

"He's right," Cress responds, keeping her eyes on Thorne. "Why are you asking me and not the internet?"

"Because we were always taught us not to trust everything online," Thorne responds in a whisper, looking around as if the government is listening to him. He figures that the local government isn't because of the election, but everyone else in the library is definitely eavesdropping.

Cress pauses because even though Thorne has a point, this should be the one time he trusts the internet because he will get the same answer from any and every website. "Maybe you could ask the librarian for a book or academic journal on the human body."

"Why would I need a book on something that I am?!" Thorne yells but with a whispering volume this time.

"Because you clearly don't have an understanding on what you are."

Once he realizes that's true, Thorne nods in agreement with her. He sort of looks like he's having an existential crisis as he runs off to go look for a book on the human body. Cress grins to herself, believing (or hoping) that Thorne will be fine and returns her attention back to the little boy she was tutoring.

"Was that your boyfriend?" The little boy asks.

"Yes," Cress says with a smile. Even to this day, it still makes her happy to be able to say that.

"He's stupid."

"I know."

* * *

 **For those of you who are interested, I have two new stories up. One is a _Cloak & Dagger _one-shot and the other is a humorous _Avengers: Endgame_ AU/Prequel based on Clint Barton.**

 ** _Important_ \- Please go vote on the poll on my profile if you have not! If you can't access the poll, I will be accepting votes in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- As a testament to letting his friends in more, Kai gives them all something special.**


	94. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Four

**Don't worry all you Kaider shippers, your moment will shine soon. (You get a little bit here right at the start).**

 ** _Recap_** **\- after a talk with Torin about letting his friends in more, Kai realizes he has one more errand to run for the night.**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Four

"I have something for you," Kai says with a bright smile on his face.

Having come straight from work, Cinder wipes her somewhat dirty hands on her jeans. She holds a hand out and Kai drops a key in it that has a small ribbon tied around the hole. Cinder picks it up by the ribbon to see if there was anything odd about it and there was nothing explicit to the eye. But no, all she could see is that it was a normal everyday key. Unless the one possibility that pops into her mind is true which it probably is.

"This is so corny," Cinder states, holding the key by its metal and placing it in front of his face, right between his eyes.

Kai is taken aback, having not expected that response at all. "How?"

"It's the key to your heart."

"Well, kind of, but no." He closes her hand with the key in it. "That is literally the key to my house."

Cinder's jaw drops a little as her mind tries to process that. The longer relationships go, the more you can say and be trusted that you have no other agenda other than your affection for each other. And even though Cinder always knew how Kai felt for her, this is symbolic of how he's letting her into his affection for her. It's more pertinent now since he's still in the midst of grieving his father. After all, Cinder already did the same for him when she revealed her birth name and story.

-o-

"Are you serious?" Winter asks as she holds the key in the center of both her hands, clutching it to her heart.

Kai nods. "It's one of the few things I've been certain in for a while."

Winter almost tears up as she holds the ket tightly in her hands. "That's so thoughtful of you. I feel so honoured."

To Kai's surprise, Winter hugs him and she does so tightly. He didn't think her tiny body had all of this strength in it. Kai hugs her back and her giant curls nearly suffocate him. He nudges them out of the way and finally inhales again. Now, he feels like crying because of this overwhelming flood of such a powerful emotion, ironically being joy.

"Oh…no, don't cry," Winter says to him. "I'm going to start crying."

"No, no," Kai responds, brushing it off. "It's just that all I've been doing is focusing on my own pain and not realizing that everyone around me wants to feel my hurt and help."

-o-

"How do you still have your job here?" Kai asks.

Now at The Rampion, Kai sits on a bar stool at the central dining bar next to Wolf as Scarlet is behind the counter in full uniform, being the waitress she seemed to have been since birth. In response to his question, Scarlet sits down some milkshakes and fries in front of both Kai and Wolf. She leans forwards, taking some fries for herself at first and sipping Wolf's milkshake.

"I showed them my subpoena," Scarlet responds. "It would be a criminal offence if my supervisor was to fire me for such a reason as not calling in, but I wouldn't have been fired anyways. I'm much too valuable."

Kai nods as he starts to take some fries and eat them. "Hey, can I give you guys something that's for an emergency scenario?"

Scarlet and Wolf glance at each other before nodding. The unexpectedness of such a question has the both of them a little on edge. Kai reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out two keys. He slides them on the counter for each of them to take as he goes to sip his milkshake. Scarlet and Wolf look at each other again, wondering if this was actually happening to them because they can tell right away what's occurring with those two identical keys.

"Wow…" Wolf mutters, taking it into his hands. "I'm not saying this as a way to demean your gesture, but I'm begging you to not put yourself in an emergency scenario."

Kai grins a little. "I pray to the stars."

They look at Scarlet to see what she has to say and she's not there anymore. They didn't even notice that she walked away. She took the key and just disappeared. Shocked, Kai and Wolf look around, peering at wherever they could for Scarlet but she seems to have just vanished. They could only assume that she was overwhelmed by all this and _conveniently_ had to go back to work at the exact same time.

"Either she's running orders or she went to go rob my house," Kai rationalizes.

"There's nobody else here," Wolf says.

Kai takes another look around and sees the empty restaurant minus the two of them and the cook in the back. He nods to himself, accepting that Scarlet is _definitely_ on her way to his place to steal his valuables. If anything, she's really hiding in the freezer to avoid the emotional conversation that was going to inevitably follow the key gifting.

-o-

After a little heartfelt moment with Cress, while giving her a key to his house, Cress swings her bag onto her chest from her shoulder and opens the front pocket. She scrambles around in there. Kai's brow goes up in confusion at the rattling sound coming from in there. Short after, Cress pulls out a lanyard from her bag and it jingles louder than normal lanyards should. That's because hers has way more keychains than actual keys. She looks to have only two keys (that he can barely spot) and then fifty keychains with some hanging off each other rather than the actual lanyard's metal loop. However, some of the keychains seem practical like the flashlight and the crescent moon one with her name on it. The other ones, like the one shaped like a present, seem pointless. It's just added weight in his opinion.

"Do you have room on that?" Kai asks curiously.

"Of course," Cress replies as she moves key rings around to make some space. It barely fits but it's good enough.

"Why does that seem like the biggest thing in your bag?"

"It's my weapon of self-defence. I walk home alone a lot."

"But it's bigger than you."

"Duh. It's more threatening that way. And now, your key would save me, stars forbid."

"How could you use it if it's too big?"

"The laws of physics don't apply to little girls getting attacked by scary people."

-o-

"Girls have testosterone!" Thorne exclaims. "Boys have estrogen. I feel as if associating those hormones with the majority gender is a lie constructed by society to further divide the human race by the biological characteristic. We should no longer associate anything with gender because, like a not-so-notable or reputable non-scholar, Cadet Jacin Clay said, 'the line between genders is blurred'. We should just be human beings who just share different hormones at varying amounts."

Kai sits there, wondering what the stars Thorne just rambled on about. He remembers this being a small conversation in their group chat but isn't so sure as to why Thorne is still obsessing over that. And Kai can't understand why giving Thorne a key to his house triggered that. A school can't get Thorne to be smart, but apparently, keys can.

"…I'm glad you have a biological awakening," Kai mutters, giving Thorne an odd and concerning look.

"And that concludes my Thorne Talk," Thorne states, imitating a mic drop with the key but not actually dropping the key. It just dangles off his middle finger. He looks at Kai who's currently narrowing his eyes at him. "Did you want to say something?"

"You leave me speechless."

Thorne coos sarcastically. "Thanks, man. Also, thanks for giving me a second home to throw parties in."

"I regret all of this."

* * *

 **My keychain is literally like Cress'. It is a lethal weapon.**

 **Also, "Thorne Talk" is a reference to "TED Talks."**

 ** _Important_ \- please go vote in the poll if you haven't already! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- As the municipal elections are coming close to voting day, Torin's side on behalf of the late Mayor Rikan strategizes what they could do to secure a victory.**


	95. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Five

**Okay, so, I recently finished reading _Wires and Nerve_ Volume II and my Wolflet feels just sky-rocketed to the stars. Ugh, they make me so happy.**

 ** _Recap_** **\- after thinking that he should let his friends into his life more, Kai gave them all keys to his house in case of emergencies.**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Five

"We shouldn't have walked home from school," Wolf states.

"No," Scarlet interjects, "we shouldn't have taken that short-cut. Walking home was completely fine if we just went a different way."

Scarlet, Wolf, Winter, and Cress were on their way home from school. They decided to take a walk and enjoy the nice breeze Commonwealth had to offer on this fine day. It was nice and peaceful for the start. Then, they all collectively agreed to take a short-cut. The alleyway and its associated stereotypes should've alerted some red flags, but they walked through anyways. The growing noise was nothing to them because they thought it was traffic, but when they all saw the cacophony that was before them, they all held hands in fear because they did not want to separate at all. The vibes they got from the chaos is that once someone was lost, they would be gone forever.

It was an election rally for Torin's opposition. It was loud and chaotic. People were marching and screaming everywhere, painting their faces and hoisting up signs and one another. There was music blasting so loud that their eardrums were about to burst. Their teeth were already chattering and their skins were all trying to crawl away from this setting.

If a college fraternity party was a cult running an election for a new leader, this would be it.

"I'm scared," Cress whispers. Even if she said that at a normal talking voice, nobody would hear her. Her friends end up reading her lips to see what she said.

"We got this," Winter says, "just blend in."

Like a brigade, the four of them make their way through the crowds because their destination was on the other side and hopefully still there in spite of this mess. After a lot of pushing and shoving, being in the background of ridiculous selfies, and being yelled and cursed at, they _just_ make it out alive. They're all panting, relieved that they can finally breathe again. They almost lost Cress in there but they, thankfully, still have her alive.

And what they didn't expect was to be covered in stickers, paint, and other various propaganda items when they reached the other side. Immediately, they try to remove what they can from their bodies because they were not in support of this at all.

There were many reasons why they were on Torin's side and it wasn't only because he's running on behalf of Kai's father. There was the promise of a continued increase in the minimum wage, a decrease in post-secondary costs, stricter driving-under-influence rules, and most importantly, no chaos like that. He ran a calm campaign and if Mayor Rikan can do that for decades and win every time, Torin should be fine (even if the fluctuating numbers would say different).

That experience just solidified their voting choice in not _them_.

"I don't know where this came from," Cress says, holding up a pin from the opposition in her hands. She's shaking, still traumatized from the battlefield she just came out of.

"I'll get rid of that," Wolf says. He clamps his hand on top of Cress' and the sharp part of the pin pokes him. Wolf jumps back and curses as he holds his poor hand. "And to think he's going to screw with my health care. Well, screw him."

Winter takes the pin and clips it to some random person's backpack as they pass by. At least that was now out of their sights, but some stickers and paint were still present on their bodies.

"You can all vote, right?" Winter questions. "Cinder and I aren't citizens."

"I'm old enough and technically here on a study visa so I can," Scarlet states. "Kai and Thorne are birth citizens who are old enough."

"I can vote," Cress says with a hint of patriotism in her voice.

Wolf scoffs. "If only I was born a month earlier."

-o-

Cinder walks into the dining room with a bowl of cereal in her hands. She doesn't care about the time of day because even though it's almost the evening, it could still be cereal time. She could have cereal for dinner and nobody will care. However, when she enters the dining room, she sees that Levana has her paperwork all over the table. Clearly, her desk didn't have enough surface area.

"So…" Cinder says as she takes a seat in a vacant chair. "How's it going?"

"Torin and I are trying to think of a convincing strike to give us that edge," Levana responds.

Cinder nods. "Good luck with that."

Levana narrows her eyes at her. "So much for being Channary's offspring."

Cinder rolls her eyes at first. "But hear me out, why are you losing if your platform is finishing off what Kai's father wanted? I mean, if Commonwealth loved him, wouldn't they want that?"

"They want Mayor Rikan. I mean, look at us, we're still calling him the mayor."

Cinder nods as she takes another bite of her cereal. She still has her mouth full when she continues talking. "If you and Torin lose the election, you'll still work in the office as whatever positions you were before. So, what's the point of all this?"

Levana sighs frustratedly as she looks at Cinder. "You really do not understand how politics work, do you?"

"You worked at the federal level. This is municipal. And even then, I have no idea."

"It's all the same but on a different scale." Levana steps back from her paperwork and circles around the table to get closer to Cinder. "Let's do a hypothetical case study - Torin and I lose the election and the opposition wins. Yes, we will still have power but not to the same extent. Nothing we want will go through. Nothing that _Mayor Rikan_ would've wanted would go through. Cinder, I know that your only _real_ exposure to politics was what you heard from your mother and, right now, it's not like that. The mess your mother made is still present in Luna today and who knows how long it will take to clean that up. Think about the consequences if that were to happen in Commonwealth."

"But the people won't let that happen even if they voted the other guy in."

"That won't matter because they have no power. Cinder, your generation is the majority. That is, those of you who can vote, anyways."

Cinder scoffs. "Populations are stupid."

Levana shrugs a little. "Their mayor is gone and they're lost and confused. Most times, when a city is in chaos, they elect the wrong people because they want someone to save them. People innately want to be led."

"That is how dictatorships are formed."

Levana beams. "You really are Channary's daughter."

Cinder rolls her eyes again. She and Levana turn around to see Winter coming home, covered in propaganda and whatnot. None of the women in the room look pleased, especially Levana.

"Why do you look so hideous?" Is all Levana could ask.

Winter takes a seat beside Cinder at the table. "My friends and I were trying to take a shortcut home and there was an unexpected rally happening. It was like a cult recruiting ignorant and impressionable minds."

Levana cringes before she shakes her head disgracefully. "Politics is supposed to be a sophisticated democratic sport, not a barbaric tyranny."

Winter shrugs as she leans back in her seat. "People don't hide things that don't matter to them and these people care a whole lot about being seen. How's campaigning going for you?"

Levana takes a quick glance at her papers. "The numbers keep bouncing back and forth. One moment, we're leading and the next, we're not. We need some sort of leverage to give us even the slightest win."

"Well, we're the majority. I saw that at the rally. We want excitement."

Levana doesn't look the least bit convinced. "You want pop-sockets and selfie backgrounds."

Winter nods. "More or less."

"We'll need more substantial leverage than that. So, Winter, what do you suggest?"

"No offence to you or Torin, but we don't want a boring adult telling us their rules. We need someone who we can relate to."

Levana nods, seeing where Winter is going with this. "You're saying we need Kai on board."

Winter grins a little. "I was trying not to but thanks for saying it for me."

Cinder moves some of Levana's papers before setting her bowl down on the table. She sits up and clears her throat. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…hold on a second. Kai will not be able to stand up straight and give some words of wisdom. You may think they us young people are all the same with our headphones in all the time so we're not aware of what's happening and that's only partially true. So let's say Kai gets involved. Sure, it looks great on Torin's end. He'll have a millennial who just so happens to be the late Mayor Rikan's son. _Amazing_. But not only would Kai get roasted alive by the opposition, but because it's already so late into the municipal election, Torin and Levana will just look desperate. They'll look like they're exploiting a grieving kid just to gain power."

Winter sits up and turns to face Cinder. "Anyone who attacks a grieving kid who decided to overcome his intense sorrow to help his father's city stay the way it was will look like a real jerk. At the end of the day, anyone who comes after Kai will look bad. He's already being hunted by the press so he might as well come out already and say something so they'll at least leave him alone."

"Kai's going to say no."

"Kai may need some leverage of his own before could say yes and help."

Cinder sighs, a little irritated with this conversation. "Winter, I get that you're playing devil's advocate - or better yet, Levana's advocate - but I am not manipulating Kai into being a part of the election. He's already in it enough and it's not by choice. Either way, he loses."

"What really matters here is how much he wants to lose."

Cinder just stares at Winter with nothing more to say. Winter nods her head, resting her case but not feeling completely content with her arguments. They may have been valid, but she was only playing the role of the opposition. They didn't necessarily match up with her own values.

Levana alternates her view between the two girls, thinking over both of their reasonings. "Two different sides of a political spectrum. This is the sophisticated democracy I was referring to. My, my, I am finally proud of my Blackburn girls."

* * *

 **When did this story become political and why do I like it so much? I mean, I think I started planning this when my provincial elections were happening and as I'm typing this, my university is having elections so I guess it's all relevant (at least, in my life right now).**

 ** _Important_** **\- Speaking of voting, please go vote in the poll if you haven't already! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- Everyone strategizes to try and get Kai on board.**


	96. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Six

**Thank you to the Guest who left the review about Levana and my Kaider scenes! And, yeah, Levana isn't really a villain at all. I remember one of the earliest reviews I got on this story saying how Levana was _too nice_ and I didn't think she was. Levana in this story says some mean things and could come off as rude and self-serving, but she isn't the same villain as the books. In this AU, she has no real intentions to be a villain. And thank you for saying that I'm getting better at my Kaider scenes! Looking ahead, the big Kaider chapter is in about two chapters.**

 ** _Recap_** **\- After a heated debate between Winter and Cinder on whether or not Kai should be campaign strategy, their arguments came to a draw.**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Six

Kai didn't want to be at this campaign party. He would rather be anywhere else but here.

Torin asked Kai to campaign alongside him and Levana to help his father's cause. Kai's first answer was a hard and explicit no. Then, Torin explained the benefits for not only the election but mostly for Kai himself like how it would help with his grieving and it'll keep himself busy. Kai's response to that was more of an implied no. The conversation ended with Torin persuading Kai to come to this campaign party and at least show his face so people know he's still around and Kai said yes as their compromise.

Kai regrets it immediately. People spoke to him and it's not that he didn't _want_ to speak to them, he didn't feel up to par. He felt as if he was faking through every smile and comment and forcing conversations. He told people he was fine when he really wasn't. For some reason, that response always came out automatically when he wasn't thinking. He guessed that it was easier to just say he was fine so he could spare everyone and himself the burden.

Once he's finally away from people, Kai heads over to the side and grabs a quick water bottle. He drinks it and looks over to one of the display tables. A lot of those pictures show his father's legacy as mayor starting from the moment he was elected, to Kai's birth, and his final days. That makes Kai realize that not only did he grow up as a product of his father but the city did as well.

Could his sadness by symbiotic with Commonwealth's? They were both stabbed in the heart by his father's death and didn't want to be in the current situation they're in so it only makes sense that way.

Kai must be so out of his mind that he's relating himself to a city.

The moment he feels tears forming in his eyes the longer he looks at the photos, he turns away, blinking the tears back as fast as he can. He looks out towards the crowds of people who showed up and to his surprise, he sees someone around his age and it just so happens to be Thorne with his parents. In a shock to see him present, Kai subtly waves his hand in the air to try and capture Thorne's attention. However, when Thorne seems too preoccupied with trying not to drop asleep at his parents' feet, he pulls out his phone and texts him.

 _Kai: Why are you even here?_

Kai looks up from his screen, keeping the chat open in his hand. He watches as Thorne perks up a little due to his phone's notifying vibration. Thorne reads the message and starts looking around for Kai. When he spots him, he waves excitedly. Kai feels happy to see someone here to help distract him from all this. Thorne glances back down at his phone to respond to the text.

 _Thorne: Moral support._

 _Kai: I didn't even know I was coming here._

 _Thorne: My parents made me and said there was free food._

 _Thorne: Nobody seems to care that I'm here which hurts my ego *crying emojis*_

Kai looks back up at Thorne and sees him fake crying to him. Kai rolls his eyes as he goes back to responding. He actually wishes he could switch places with Thorne and have none of the attention on him.

 _Kai: I wish I was in your shoes right now. I would give anything just to be ignored._

 _Kai: Go where you're celebrated, not where you're tolerated._

 _Thorne: But I'm tolerated here and they have free food. It's sort of a win-win._

If only Kai felt the same way about that.

-o-

Thorne stands by his parents' side at the campaign event in support of Torin on behalf of Mayor Rikan. As much as he supports Torin himself, Thorne is so bored that he would rather be doing homework right now. His parents drone on and on to their friends about how insane the opposition is and for once, Thorne can only agree because of what his friends experienced at that rally and the stories on their social media platforms about almost dying and inhaling too much paint fumes.

"Our son is friends with Kai Rikan," his mother says. She looks at Thorne. "Isn't that right, Carswell?"

They all turn to look at Thorne and that question was bad timing on their part because he uncontrollably yawned. His parents' combined faces look embarrassed, disappointed, and unamused. Thorne didn't mean to yawn but he's glad he did because that reaction in front of their friends was worth it. He finds it oddly satisfying to hear that Kai has become a new status criterion in the city.

"Yeah, we're tight," Thorne responds.

Now he parents look as if they should've left him at home. And for the second time tonight, Thorne agrees.

"Where is Kai, by the way?" His father asks this time.

Thorne looks around for Kai. They were texting for a bit before Kai got dragged into some conversation. Now, he's drowned in the endless sea of people. Thorne looks back at his parents and shrugs. To pass the time and quench his thirst, he opens a pop can and it fizzes louder than he expects. His parents and their friends all give him deadpanned expressions. Thorne looks at them and shushes his pop can before taking a sip.

-o-

Leaning against a brick wall outside the venue is Kai. It's dark and he hopes that nobody notices that he stepped out for a bit. If anything, everyone will just assume that Kai is talking to someone else across the room so, in hindsight, nobody will be looking for him. He finds that to be great since he doesn't want to be found.

Kai showed up, he spoke to people, he did his part.

It wasn't the faking of his sanity that got him nor was it the endless condolences or comments about what a good man his father was. None of it. It was seeing those damn family photos that triggered him. Duplicates and variations of those photos are back at his house: either in albums, frames on the wall, on tables; they're somewhere waiting to be looked at and everyday, Kai would pass them without a single thought.

Now, he can't do that anymore.

He can't see a family photo without realizing that he's now the only one alive. He can't see any reminder of Commonwealth and think about how they're both orphans. He said it himself about his dad at his own funeral, _'He was the heart of Commonwealth and losing him was like taking that out and the blood no longer knowing where to go.'_ Forget about being able to relate himself to the city, Kai _is_ related to the city. They're both sad and lost, not knowing what to do with themselves at the given point in time. People suggest and they ignore because even though they want to feel loved, they also want to be alone.

Time usually goes by slowly when you're alone often, which he has been recently. Solitude is nice but not after you start talking to yourself and crying in the dark more than you should. Company is needed which is why he gave his friends all keys to his house. The only issue is that they wouldn't burst in out of their own will (all jokes aside) because they don't know what boundaries he would let them cross.

And to be frank, he isn't sure either.

He hasn't been through this enough to know what he wants versus what he needs. And, as much as he hates to do this comparison, the same applies to Commonwealth who has been under the same leadership for years and that might be thrown away.

Tears start rolling down Kai's face. All the ones that were pent up from the entire evening just pour out.

 _'_ _My mother's been gone for twelve years and that's longer than the time I've had with her. As time passes, that same feeling will eventually come with my dad but those memories from both my parents are something that nobody can ever take away from me,'_ he said at the funeral. Was it a good thing that he still had his eulogy from his father's funeral still memorized? It often played on repeat in his mind and no matter what he does, it can't quite down.

He was a kid so his memories of his mom are simple and fragmented. He isn't sure if what he knows is authentic or just something he made up. His father's funeral is still bright in his mind whereas his mom's is a shadowy blur. Admittedly, he misses his dad more than his mom. He misses her as well but it's like a distant, beautiful place that is much too fantastical to be reality. He barely remembers what she sounds like but in his head, his dad's voice is still there and he can't lose that.

Kai suddenly realizes that his own eulogy made no sense anymore: how could someone take away memories of his mother if he doesn't have any substantial ones worth taking? He should've asked his father more about his city, his mother - both of which he thought he knew but as it turns out, he doesn't know at all. All the information he had on them were just constructed for himself and because those were wonderful, it hurts him even more now when he realizes he's been lying to himself this whole time.

Everything is fine until events beyond the control of the stars take over. He could've tried to take the reins on the small yet major events that changed his life in hopes of making a difference to get a better outcome, but when they happened, it's not like red flags were waving in the air to give him that message.

 _'_ _Kai, I think I'm going to step down from being mayor soon,'_ his father told him early on. That should've been his indicator because, after over a decade of being mayor, his dad wouldn't just choose to step down unless it was urgent. He should've said something or asked questions then instead of just staring at his father blankly. He doesn't think he still understands how his father died. It still felt like a nightmare he woke up in. He is still in complete shock, unable to fathom the words used to describe how he felt about it which destroyed him.

That's the worst of it when someone dies - people blame themselves. They can't rid themselves of the feeling that they could've prevented it.

* * *

 **I am a mix of Kai and Thorne at boring adult parties: don't want to be there or be spoken to.**

 **If you want to know my mood while writing this chapter, it's sad Christmas music (and I typed this chapter in January).**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please go vote on the poll on my page! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- The group tries to get Kai on board, but maybe they need to pressure someone else first...**


	97. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Seven

**_Recap_** **\- After being forced to a campaign party, Kai realizes that he's more like the city of Commonwealth than he thought.**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Seven

Winter runs into The Rampion and, like she expected, sees her friends minus Kai are sitting at a booth. Because the diner is currently empty minus them, Scarlet stands at their table, chatting away with them until she had actual work to do. This is exactly what Winter wanted to see so she happily makes her way over to them. When the others see them, Cinder scoots over in the booth for them, but Winter remains standing at the moment to make sure that all of them are looking at her.

"Where's Kai?" Winter asks just to make sure he actually isn't here.

"He said he was busy but we doubt that," Scarlet responds. "We didn't further question him and just let him be."

"Good." Winter holds her hands together at her chest. "Torin and Levana need help with getting our age group more involved in not just voting in general but more in favour for them."

To Winter's surprise, everyone is on board. It must have been that rally most of them suffered through. From what she heard, it traumatized them and Scarlet still has stickers in her curls that she can't locate at all.

"Cinder knows where I'm going with this and I want to know what you guys think," Winter continues, "Torin and Levana want Kai on board more than just showing his face at one event. At first, he said no because it was too much for him but I think talking about it aloud will help him. It'd be cathartic."

"He didn't even want to be at the party," Thorne responds. "I saw him for maybe five minutes and then he just disappeared."

"We can't force Kai," Wolf says. "I'm not saying he shouldn't do it because I believe he should go out there, but if he can't handle it, then what's the point?"

Winter leans forwards a little. "The point is that dandelions lose their minds all the time and when they do, their seeds spread to where they grow again. So the next time he feels his mind go, the breeze will soothe him."

Nobody knows how to respond to that mostly because nobody really understands what she said. They're trying to connect the metaphor of Kai and the election to dandelions and their hypothetical minds, but they can't find the dots.

"I'm sorry, what?" Scarlet questions on behalf of all of them.

"Dr. Darnel tells me that all the time," Winter states.

They all look at Cress for some sort of explanation but she is as far in the dark like them.

"I'm sorry, what?" Cress questions like Scarlet did.

Winter finally takes a seat. "Kai doesn't have to pretend to be fine. A vulnerability is a strength. Despite his current madness, he has to simultaneously find a way to live with it and use that to be a force."

They all nod, finally understanding the dandelion metaphor. Some of them believe that at that moment in time, Winter should've been running for mayor. She would win all the soulful botanists out there.

"So, let's say we get Kai on board," Cress says, "the election is in two days. What could we do last-minute that will make an impact on our generation?"

"Press conferences and debates are lame," Wolf tells them. "We need something short yet attention-grabbing."

"I think Kai would have a breakdown in one of those," Cinder replies. "He already runs away from the press and debates are when everyone critiques each other harshly. The worst of anyone comes out in those."

"Let's get a hashtag started!" Thorne exclaims.

They're all quiet. At first, that sounded like a stupid idea but that's what made it a good idea. (It was also better than no idea and a press conference). Besides, how better to get the internet generation on board was to get something they could find and spread online? With the two days they have left, may the stars bless their fast internet connections.

"Give me a minute to think of one," Thorne says as she starts to think.

"Okay, but a hashtag needs something to attach itself to," Scarlet says. "It needs something to be with that isn't just a stupid selfie. What are we supposed to do? Have Kai make a short viral video and spread it through our social media accounts?"

Winter nods. "We all have a great collective following so it seems doable. The eulogy for his father was made on the spot and it made everyone cry. Maybe some words Kai says will make its way to being selfie captions."

"Minus the Kai factor," Cress adds.

And there was what was definitely the hardest part in this equation. They could have all of these wonderful campaign ideas but it would mean nothing if Kai wasn't there to do anything. They may as well have no plan if he wasn't there. The only problem was how they would approach him about this because of his current state of emotional mentality. He already said no to campaigning, unwillingly accepted an appearance, and now they needed him on board. It was like going back to step one of an already-failed plan as if it never happened.

"As sensitive as the dude is, we need to peer pressure him," Wolf states. "I know he's still grieving and I'm not degrading that in any way, but it's like he's trapped in that world and sort of unaware of what's happening out here."

"Agreed," Scarlet says, putting her hand on Wolf's shoulder.

"Maybe…" Cress says hesitantly. "I think it's a little harsh. He has no more parents and we can't just tell him to pause for a moment and go tell our classmates to vote."

"He doesn't have to pause," Winter says. "His grief can get people to vote."

"Isn't that a little insensitive?"

"It's completely insensitive." Winter sighs, running her hands over her face. "I know what Kai's going through because I lost both of my parents, but my wounds are not as fresh. At least I have a step-mother who kind of maybe likes me. All of that aside, we have three votes to just be frank with Kai, one maybe…"

They look at those who remain in their current booth which radiates with democracy. Only Thorne and Cinder haven't said what they thought about their new strategy. Thorne is too busy thinking of possible hashtags for their upcoming viral sensation which implies that he's in and Cinder is staring at them disapprovingly.

"No," Cinder states. "We cannot do that."

"Maybe not peer pressure," Cress mutters slowly. She starts eyeing Cinder. "Maybe we need _girl_ friend pressure."

"Seriously?!" Cinder yells. "You weren't even on board a second ago. This is all of your guys' doing and you're making _me_ go ask him?!"

"Yeah, so start pulling your weight in our master plan by girlfriend-pressuring him," Scarlet says firmly.

Cinder narrows her eyes at Scarlet and gives her the finger. Scarlet chuckles as she returns the gesture. Everyone else around them is in agreement that Cinder needs to be the one to do this and when she realizes that, she gives them all both of her middle fingers.

"I can't do it," Cinder argues. "I'm a bull when it comes to dealing with emotional stuff."

She isn't wrong there but in spite of that, she is still the best option out of all of them to approach Kai about this.

"Maybe that's what Kai needs," Cress says. "He gave us keys so that we could force ourselves in - he doesn't need a hug but a bull to drag him out and chase him here."

Everyone else agrees with Cress, saying that they meant that from the start. Cinder is not amused, knowing damn well that they didn't think of that at all. However, even with that symbolic and possibly unintentional explanation, Cinder still isn't on board for doing this. However, the looks her friends are giving her are a mix of demeaning and begging and combining those with the future fate of Commonwealth makes her consider asking Kai. She might as well try so she could say she did if he still says no. The sooner he possibly says no, the quicker they could come up with another plan.

Cinder groans before climbing over her friends to get out of the booth. "Fine. I'll do it."

Their cheering towards her involuntary decision makes her angry. It's times like there where Cinder has to remind herself that she doesn't hate her friends and that sometimes she'll have to face emotions from other people. That's the part of any relationship that she doesn't like. If there was one thing she liked about Levana, it was her coldness just for that reason.

"Isn't it funny how the plan was to pressure Kai and you ended up getting pressured?" Thorne questions rhetorically.

"I will pressure you with my fist," Cinder replies before storming out of The Rampion.

* * *

 **Some of you are probably thinking that they're all jerks for trying to get Kai to do this, but in the context of the story, they're right to do it.**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please vote on the poll on my page! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- Will Cinder be able to persuade Kai to do more? And if so, how will she do it?**


	98. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Eight

**HERE IS THE KAIDER CHAPTER YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!**

 ** _Recap_** **\- After deliberating over some strategies to try and get Kai on board with the campaign, they sent Cinder over to go talk to him.**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Eight

Just for the sake of being polite, Cinder knocks on Kai's door. When there's no answer after a few seconds, Cinder uses her key and lets herself inside, still knocking on the door and calling out that she's here. She stands at the main entrance of his house, making sure that he's actually home because it would be embarrassing and a waste of time if he wasn't even around. She's about to leave until she hears footsteps rushing down the stairs. Cinder looks up and sees Kai fresh out of the shower.

The breath is taken out of her lungs as her heart stops and her eyes nearly bulge out of her head. His hair was still damp and flops nicely around his head. Then, she can't help herself but look at his abs which, for some reason, she always forgot he had. Kai holds a plain tee in his hands that compliments his pyjama pants. He was about to put it on but stops and smiles a little when he sees that it's Cinder.

"Hey," Kai greets with a small grin at the corner of his lips, "what are you doing here?"

It was always intoxicating for him to be this close to him. There's no denying the physical attraction she feels for him, but now she couldn't think straight when he would look at her like _that_. He makes her feel drunk…

Cinder shakes her head a little, coming back to reality (which, wonderfully, still contains a shirtless Kai). "Curse you and your wet hair and abs for distracting me. I almost forgot why I was here."

Kai stands there, a little confused. Cinder perks up a little when she has an approach to this. She walks closer to him and wraps her arms around his shoulders, leaning into him as she runs her fingers through his damp hair. Kai holds her at her waist, not sure where this is going but not complaining about it either.

"You know, you're still the mayor's son…" Cinder mutters.

Kai looks away, wondering what kind of approach that was. "Your point?"

"I can be a good citizen."

Cinder leans in to kiss him but then stands up straight again, stopping mere inches from his face. She keeps her arms where they are and Kai is left confused for more reasons now.

"By telling you that you need to campaign alongside Torin and Levana," Cinder finishes.

Kai backs away from her and walks further into his house. He puts on his shirt as Cinder follows him. She curses to herself that combining her attempt at seduction and her bull-like tendencies was not a good move. She should've gone with her gut and picked one over the other.

"That's what they want but I can't do it," Kai says to her.

"So you want to do it but you're just unable to?"

Kai stops her right there. "I never said that."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't just go on about my day pretending that my heart isn't breaking every time that I breathe."

Cinder is left speechless, silent. It reminds her of when Levana asked how Kai grieves if he can't even breathe. She watches as Kai stands before her, trying to hold himself together and can't help but remember the moments that led up to right now. Being with Kai when he got the call to get to the hospital, driving him there, running down the hallways just to find him. Then, she stayed in that hospital all night, wandering around mindlessly as she passed room after room containing sick people who weren't sure if they were going to get better. She couldn't keep track of how much time passed or how many laps she did around the same rooms, but she remembers stopping in her tracks when she saw Mayor Rikan's doctor leaving the room with the nurses. All of their faces were filled with absolute defeat and grief as they discussed in hushed and shaky whispers on what they should say to his son.

That's when it hit Cinder: Mayor Rikan was dead.

 _He died at that moment in time._

She doesn't remember what her first thought was, but all she could think of, ironically, was her mother. Her mother died after she was born and now, Kai's father just happened to die after Cinder told everyone her secret. Maybe Selene Blackburn brought death to all those around her.

Then, Cinder remembered making her walk to Kai, wherever he was since he would've just heard the news. It was the longest walk of her life. She thought back to the day where that soldier came and told them that Winter's dad died. She thought about how Winter broke down right beside her and how Levana shattered. But Cinder was her typical Cinder self - she felt the pain and grief, but just never showed it.

Maybe that's why she never cried: she needed to be strong for the sad ones around her. She needed to be their rock for them to cry on. Cinder Blackburn is what they need to hold onto.

Cinder takes a breath, focusing back on the present and on Kai. "Death will always bring pain but you can't stop living because others died. Kai, I know this is hard for you and I can't begin to imagine what you're going through but you can't just keep it all to yourself."

"It's one election," Kai says. Tears start forming in his eyes and he turns around to brush them away.

"It's only one election away from you possibly losing everything your father did and that includes yourself. Torin is continuing to raise you and is campaigning on your father's behalf, finishing what your father started. You being there shows the continuity of his legacy, that you believe your father will still be here. You're not only representing him but our generation as well. We are the majority and the future. We need hope and you will give that to us. I believe with my whole heart and body that millennials constitute a revolutionary soul force that can, and will, change the world for real."

Kai is silent which makes Cinder uncomfortable. This time, he lets his new tears fall in front of her. Maybe Kai is thinking of what she said which now makes her wonder if her words even worked. She really hopes they did because she has no other ideas.

"I've been thinking," Kai tells her.

"If it was about what I just said," Cinder mutters, "please recap it for me because I don't remember. It all kind of just rolled off my tongue and I couldn't keep up."

"I don't remember my mom the way I should. I see her in pictures and that's all I remember by - a snapshot in my mind of that one event. I can't really picture her moving a lot because it doesn't feel real to me. She would always be doing small and repetitive things which are how the memories play back in my head, kind of like a boomerang, almost. Sometimes, I question if those memories are even real or just something comforting I made up or something my dad might have told me."

Cinder keeps quiet, slowly nodding her head.

"People around town have been saying that they don't remember a time when my father was not the mayor," Kai continues, "I would just smile and agree for the sake of formality but that thought never left my mind because they're all right. It got me thinking about how I also don't really remember a time when my father was _not_ the mayor. If anyone were to ask me what kind of man my father was, I would say he was the Mayor of the Commonwealth before my father. Even after he died, we're still calling him the mayor. You even said it yourself when you walked in, I am still the mayor's son."

Cinder can feel a smile tickling her lips. "So…what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I need to get dressed."

"That whole spiel about your parents and you're thinking of a wardrobe change?"

"I don't think my father would want me keeping his legacy alive while in half of my pyjamas."

Before Cinder could process what he just said, Kai quickly kisses her before running upstairs to his room. Cinder turns around a few seconds later, looking up to where he would've run off to. That smile from seconds ago finally appears on her face. She did it, or at least, she thinks she did. She sort of still isn't sure what just happened. While she waits for Kai to run back down, she pulls out her phone to update everyone else.

 _[Group Chat - Stop Changing The Name of This Chat]_

 _[Cinder changed the name of this chat to "Emperor Kai Rikan of the Commonwealth and His Favourite Subjects"]_

 _Cinder: Nailed it._

 _Little Red Scarlet: Nailed the plan or nailed Kai? ;)_

 _Emperor Kai: both ;)_

 _Cinder: NO!_

 _Captain Thorne: Well, that was going to be our plan B anyways…_

 _Cinder: I still hate all of you._

* * *

 **I've been looking at the past few chapters for this arc and noticed a few things. First, Kai is barely in it compared to the others. I was almost about to change that because it's _his_ arc and he should be in it more but realized that it's symbolic because he kind of doesn't want to be there. He wants almost nothing to do with the campaign (at least, until now). Second, Kai's arcs are always the sad ones for some reason. I even looked at the possible season three I have planned, and *possible spoilers* it seems sad too.**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please vote on the poll on my page! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews! (If you can't view the poll, I think you have to be in the desktop version of the site. It would be at the top of my profile. If you still can't view it, you could vote by leaving a review. The poll is: Who should be the school dance's kings/queens? I'm letting you pick FOUR and the choices are literally everyone in the group, including Jacin even if he doesn't attend their school).**

 ** _Stay Tuned -_** **With Kai finally on board, how will he help the campaign and will it work?**


	99. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Nine

**If I have not mentioned ages earlier, they are all in the equivalent of grade 11 (third-year high school, 17 years old)**

 ** _Recap_** **\- after a talk with Kai, Cinder finally gets him on board.**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Nine

Moments later, Cinder walks into her house with Kai following her. Still keeping her hand in his, he closes the door with his free once. The two of them enter the main dining room and, as expected, they see Torin and Levana there. The two adults did not expect to see Kai with a willing desire to be here. However, they (including Cinder and Kai), did not expect to see Thorne here. He sits at the head of the table with a chilled bottle of soda on a coaster in front with him, waving at his friends with a bright smile on his face.

"Thank the stars that you two are finally here!" Levana exclaims.

Cinder pauses for a second because Levana is never really happy to see her. However, she probably knows why her aunt has a sudden glee in her words towards her.

"What did he do?" Cinder asks, pointing directly at Thorne.

"Kept on babbling on and on about women and testosterone," Torin responds.

Cinder and Kai roll their eyes in sync. Thorne looks at them all innocently.

"I thought you had a biological awakening," Kai says.

"Started having doubts in myself," Thorne responds. "I needed some expert opinions."

Levana sighs. "Why are you friends with him?"

"He clearly needs guidance," Kai responds.

"He's more like a charity case," Cinder says.

The couple looks at each other with bright smiles that hold back their laughter. Thorne, however, is not amused to be considered as a lost soul. He prefers to call himself confused.

Torin clears his throat. "So, Kai, we were thinking. You could give a small speech of sorts that Thorne said he would post and spread."

Thorne raises a hand. "I have a big following."

Kai nods at Torin, not Thorne. Cinder told him more or less of the plan on their way here. He's supposed to be inspirational yet interesting enough for people their ages to want to listen to. Then, all of his friends and hopefully others will repost and share it. Their goal is an internet sensation to get the people of Commonwealth talking. It could be good, it could be bad, but they'll find out.

"Don't fret, it shouldn't be long," Torin tells Kai.

"It's not like people your age have attention spans," Levana states.

To prove her point, she gestures a hand towards Cinder and Thorne. They look over and see the two of them already on their phones despite the conversation only going on for barely a minute so far. And in sync, Cinder and Thorne look up at the two adults and Kai, wondering why they were being stared at when there was a strategy to be put into action immediately.

"We could quickly write up a script or something if you'd like," Torin suggests.

"No," Kai replies, taking a seat and starting to get comfortable. "I'll wing it."

Torin pats his shoulder supportively and proudly. "Your father winged most of his speeches. They were most genuine that way. Nobody could ever say he was scripted."

"Everyone knows you have a bias and you could play to that if you like," Levana suggests.

Kai scoffs. "My name is a bias."

The three of them laugh. Cinder and Thorne come back to the moment, looking up from their screens and still having no idea what they missed. All they know is that their plan will now be in progress. Thorne takes Kai's phone to start recording on his profile. He was going to start a live stream but there was no point in doing one if nobody was going to watch. At least in the online video, it's set in stone.

"You ready?" Thorne asks.

"No, but press record anyways," Kai responds.

"You got this," Cinder says, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before scurrying beside Levana and Torin who stand behind Thorne.

Throne gives Kai a thumbs up when he starts recording and Kai's breath instantly escapes his lungs. For a second, he almost forgot what he was doing and what he was going to say (as if he knew).

"I know that a lot of people in Commonwealth have been wanting to know how I feel about this," Kai starts, "and to be honest, I'm not sure. Everything is changing and my life isn't what I knew it was anymore but that's the point. Change is like everything else - the more you do something, the better you get at it. None of us are ready for such a drastic change _yet_ , especially me. A lot of people believe that I'm a continuation of my father and I only think I am in a biological sense. We all miss my father and I'm not saying I miss him the most because I just miss him. It's as simple as that. That is why it's important to keep my father's legacy alive whether or not Konn Torin wins the election. My father ran and lived on kindness so all we really need to remember him is to do a simple act of kindness. Everyone dies alone but if you meant something to someone; if you helped someone or loved someone; if even a single person remembers you, then maybe you never really died at all."

Kai looks up at Thorne and feels the blood rushing to his cheeks. Thorne lowers his phone and types a little message before posting it. He slides Kai's phone across the table to have him look at it. Kai ignores the playback and looks up at what Torin and Levana think. The two of them nod their heads proudly which makes Kai relax, thinking he didn't say anything stupid.

At the moment, he forgets everything he said.

When he looks up at Cinder, she's already making her way over. She takes a seat on his lap and wraps her arms over his shoulders in a hug.

"#ActOfKaindness…" Kai mutters as he reads the caption on his video. He has to admit that it's a catchy hashtag.

A small smile crawls on his face as a small tear falls down his face. Cinder kisses it away as she reposts his speech before spamming her story with pictures of them. (Even Thorne does the same, taking live photos of them for his own story). Eventually, Kai pulls her into a deep and meaningful kiss, pretending they were the only two people in the room.

"I'm going to step out of this," Torin mutters, excusing himself. Levana follows.

Thorne stares at Kai and Cinder's moment before going online to repost Kai's livestream.

-o-

 _[Group Chat - #ActOfKaindness]_

 _Throne: Kai, my boy, you're more famous now! I'm so proud *crying emojis*_

 _Winter: I can't even open any of my apps. They all keep crashing._

 _Jacin: Same here and I'm not even in the same timezone. HOW IS IT TRENDING IN ARTEMISIA?!_

 _Scarlet: I'm at work and not only is Kai's speech being played on the television, but many customers are talking about it. I feel famous just for knowing him *hair-flipping emoji*_

 _Wolf: Same here at the gym._

 _Wolf: Are the press hunting you down now more than ever?_

 _Kai: I'm hiding in my basement._

 _Kai: I also hate half of the pictures you guys posted with me in them._

 _Kai: Totally not a #ActofKaindness._

 _Winter: Totally is._

 _Cress: People are saying you should run for mayor._

 _[Cress sends some links and blog posts about Kai possibly running and his likelihood of winning in the present and the future, given that the majority of voters will be present and eligible voters by then]_

 _Cinder: Emperor Kai Rikan of the Commonwealth._

That video and hashtag spread like wildfire, quicker than any of them anticipated. Not only did the group chat repost it onto their stories and feeds (even Jacin and he isn't in Commonwealth), but their neighbours, schoolmates, and just random people in Commonwealth were doing the same. They added links to their posts and bios, telling everyone to vote, where to register, and where to vote with whatever time is left; they brought up the late Mayor Rikan's past campaign on kindness; and how wonderful Kai grew up in the limelight. Selfies with quotes from his speech were being uploaded.

The internet around Commonwealth had this trending. The opposition couldn't think of a rebuttal let alone anything to say about this because it got to the point where the mainstream media was talking about it.

Polls were being recalculated, registration sites were loading, Commonwealth was buzzing.

This was the tensest pressure this election has faced in decades.

Even if Kai's speech doesn't help Torin win the election, their campaign was the most shared and spoken about.

* * *

 **If you remember Kai's eulogy from his father's funeral (if you didn't, neither did I), then his speech here is similar.**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please go vote on the poll on my page if you haven't. Additional votes will also be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- Will Kai's message have an impact on the election?**


	100. Act of Kai-ndness: Part Ten

**Happy 100 chapters! (Not gonna lie, I thought we hit it a while back). And thank you all for 300 reviews! (What a perfect time to hit it).**

 ** _Recap_** **\- after finally being convinced to do something for the campaign, Kai's video goes viral throughout Commonwealth under the hashtag #ActOfKaindness.**

* * *

Act of Kai-ndness: Part Ten

It's election night.

Kai stands in the campaign headquarters feeling more nervous than he ever thought he would be. It was possibly because he unexpectedly went viral because of that video and the hashtag that stemmed from it. He thought it was only going to be an internet sensation for only Commonwealth's borders but the mainstream media was all over it. Now, he feels as if everyone is looking at him differently, as a hero of some sorts. It's moments like that when Kai wishes that they would just go chat with Torin who is definitely feeling more nervous than him.

Everyone except his friends, thank the stars, they continue to look at him normally. Most of them are here, dressed in their business casual attire just to not stick out here. They mostly came to support him as the city votes for their mayor and the results slowly come in.

There's a projector showing a live newscast of the voting and the climbing results as they come in. Seeing those numbers change and fluctuate make Kai shake a little.

"What if my message meant nothing?" Kai asks worriedly.

"Are you insane?" Thorne questions rhetorically. "I was there and I recorded that historic moment in time. It went viral."

"So? Lots of things go viral and die within an hour."

Cress taps a few times on her phone screen before turning it to face them. "According to posts I'm reading, there has been a 55% voter turnout so far which is better than what they predicted before your video."

"When my dad would rerun, he would get at least 80%," Kai states.

Cress hesitates for a second. "…well, the polls are still open for another two hours or so, granted that nobody wins in advance with a majority."

Kai shrugs, drinking the rest of his water bottle before tossing it in the recycling. He isn't a drinker in any way but now understands why people drink in tense and nerve-racking moments like these: so they could look professional about their stress and feel as if they were not in the room. Maybe he could sneak a glass that all the real adults got to have.

Winter holds her phone out for her friends to look at and it's on her social media feed. "All of those selfies helped. I didn't think your face was in so many pictures."

Kai's eyes open wide at all the photos he was tagged in ever since his viral moment. He hasn't touched his phone since Thorne posted the video for reasons such as that. "Neither did I."

"I'm serious." Winter scrolls through her feed and it's an endless stream of Kai's face with other people. "Who even has these many selfies? Other than a complete narcissist."

Kai narrows his eyes at her. Winter lights up his mood by taking a quick selfie with him for her story. They both have bright smiles and animated flower crowns on their heads accompanied by the caption #ActOfKaidness in a neon cursive font. She then does a boomerang where she's smirking and sticking out her tongue and Kai has the most unamused deadpanned expression that could pass off as its own photo. His expression was aimed at her but then he smiles which she captures in a third photo.

"Have you guys seen Scarlet?" Wolf asks them as he looks around.

"Who?" Thorne questions.

Wolf glares at him. "Seriously? I'm talking about Scarlet."

Thorne shrugs. "Are you imagining things?"

"I will make you see stars."

Thorne's laugh simmers a little. "Maybe she went back to France."

"I will throw you to France to get her this time."

"Love a good tag-team."

Thorne sips his drink because he believes that Wolf will actually do that despite his jokes. He then goes to hide behind Cinder even though she would not protect him. If anything, she will help Wolf throw him to France.

Cinder jumps a little on the spot. "I'm so nervous about this. Look at how hard I'm unintentionally clenching my boobs just by crossing my arms."

Before anyone could comment, someone else pops in just in time.

"Stress balls!" Scarlet exclaims about Cinder's boobs.

She skips right into their social circle with a wild grin on her face. She pokes Cinder's boob (or one of her stress balls) for fun before getting her hand smacked away. Her curls are damp as she pulls them back and by reading the curious expressions on their faces as to where she was and why her hair is wet.

"I had to go home and rinse off the scent of The Rampion," Scarlet explains. "As much as I really love the smell of butter, bacon, onions, and fries, I needed to look presentable."

"I feel like barfing," Kai states.

"Wow, thanks Kai," Scarlet says sarcastically only because she knows that his nausea comes from his nerves and not her tardiness story.

"You know what?" Wolf questions rhetorically. "I think we'll be fine."

"Well," Cress interrupts before everyone gives her looks to not finish that sentence based on the downfall of her tone of voice. "Nevermind."

The rest of the night just consists of constant nerves. Nobody talks to one another because they're too fixed on the live stream of the polling results. They watch as the numbers continue to rise on both sides, causing the lead politician to change every time they blink. That fluctuation combined with the ticking clock decreasing how much time till polls close was unsettling because even though there was still enough time before it hits zero, the results could just conclude once a majority hits.

Kai blinks and the election is over. They have a winner.

His eyes blur and he suddenly can't hear anything around him. He can make out figures around him jumping around and hollering but he isn't sure why. Kai looks all around him but everything looks the same to him. Somethings are shaking him and he can't breathe for a moment.

"Kai!" Someone screams at him and it sounds like they're saying their words in slow-motion with an echo following it. "You won!"

"I'm the mayor?" Kai questions softly as reality catches up with him.

"You won the majority!" Cinder exclaims, smiling excitedly at him.

It takes Kai a second to realize that _he_ didn't win mayor, Torin did which means his father did which, at the end of the day, means he wins as well. Kai exhales with a small laugh; the first thought that pops in his mind is how his father is such a good politician that he could even win as a dead man. Go figure.

Kai quickly cups Cinder's head and kisses her as he runs over to cheer with Torin who grabs him in the biggest father-like hug possible. His friends watch him go, all of them wearing proud parent faces on their own.

"He seemed so out of it," Thorne mutters, chuckling a little. "Imagine if you weren't the one standing beside him and he accidentally kissed one of us."

Cinder cringes a little. "I'd rather not."

"Long live Mayor Rikan!" Winter exclaims as confetti starts falling from above them.

* * *

 **I don't know about you guys but when my province was electing a new premier, he won with the majority in literally ten minutes so don't attack me by saying this is unrealistic. (Especially since provinces are bigger than cities).**

 **And that concludes Kai's arc! Feel free to guess whose arc will be next! It's going to have a different style in terms of execution, but I'm excited about it already.**

 **That confirms the following: YES, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ARC!**

 ** _Important_** **\- Please go vote on the poll on my page if you haven't already! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews and even over PM.**


	101. Beware of Sharp Thornes: Part One

**I am so sorry if I scared any of you due to not updating, but I've been busy with my other stories. Also, I waited for this specific day to come back because it's _Once Upon a Selfie_ 's second anniversary! It's still hard for me to believe that it's already been two years. Thank you to everyone who has been reading so far!**

 **A lot of you guys guessed that this would be Cinder's arc and it isn't (even though hers is going to be exciting). And for the people who thought this would be a Cresswell arc, you're half right! There will be Cresswell fluff in here as well as stuff for the other couples.**

 **Guys. This is an arc that I am genuinely excited for. It has a funny plot and a different format, but it will be amazing! With that in mind, please pay attention to the subheadings because there will be shifts between the past and present.**

 **Fun Fact: This was going to be the original name of Thorne's first arc.**

* * *

Beware of Sharp Thornes: Part One

 _After the Party_

Thorne's eyes slowly flutter open from what felt like the longest sleep of his life. Once his mind is aware that he's awake, it floods with a pounding migraine which only makes him wish that he never woke up. He should've slept this pain away even though he doesn't remember what, how or when this migraine came into existence. He also doesn't remember falling asleep which is weird for a completely different reason.

What happened last night?

He also isn't sure why he's staring at his living room ceiling instead of his bedroom. When Thorne sits up, he finds out that he slept on the living room couch.

Weird, but, whatever.

Thorne yawns groggily, stretching his arms up above his head and cracking his back to loosen it. He gets up and starts making his way to the bathroom. He passes through the statues his parents have up in the hallways, saying good morning to them as per usual. Once he reaches the bathroom, the bright lights sting his head and when he looks in the mirror, he almost screams. _And he's never screamed at his own reflection before. To think that his day started off with waking up in the living room and being scared of himself._

He looks completely wasted, dead almost. His skin is pale, highlighting the dark circles that he didn't think he had under his eyes. He's unrecognizable. Thorne cringes and turns on the faucet, splashing cold water on his face to freshen up and, hopefully, calm his migraine. (It's still pounding).

He notices that he's wearing the same clothes from yesterday and doesn't even care at this point. He's too confused on what happened last night.

Thorne walks back out, passing the main foyer and seeing his parents there. It takes him a few seconds for his tired mind to actually process that his parents are standing there. He's confused at first, but when he notices that they're angry, it makes complete sense. He's in the real world despite everything that happened before. If his parents were happy, he would start to question if he was in some parallel universe.

When Thorne notices that his parents aren't saying anything and just frowning at him, he thinks he ought to get a conversation going.

"Morning?" Thorne questions. He was going to say _good morning_ but the adjective just didn't seem to fit with the mood of the room as of right now. His parents still don't react. "Where's Jeanette?"

"She has the day off," his father responds. "We let her borrow one of our cars and, now, she's out on the town."

"Why?"

His mother lowers her arms from being crossed around her chest and she stares him down in utter shock. "Carswell, are you really being that dense _now_?"

"I feel hungover?" Thorne responds hesitantly.

Amelia scoffs. "Well, that explains _a lot_."

She spins her hand around as a gesture for Thorne to look around. When Thorne turns around, he finally sees why his parents are so mad: the entire house is a mess. How he didn't notice that when he first woke up is a mystery for him. Food wrappers, beer bottles, plastic red cups litter the floor. Mysterious stains make his walls and floors look like valuable art paintings his parents would buy.

He sees some of his friends all asleep on the couches and the floor. It finally hits Thorne that he threw a massive party here. No wonder he was feeling all loopy when he woke up on the couch and why he was still dressed in, what he would call, his best house party outfit.

"You're cleaning this up," his mother orders.

"And then we'll ground you," his father finishes.

It could be better but it could also be _way_ worse. Looking at this mess combined with his angry parents is hell because hell is just the truth discovered too late.

He threw a party and he can't remember it for some reason. The harder he tries to think back to it, the more his hangover headache would cover the totality of his memories. The longer he's awake and looking at this, more fragmented memories of the night hit him from even before it was planned. How is it that when something ends, he starts to feel it fully?

The real question he has is: if he slept till noon, why is he still so tired and hungover?

-o-

 _Before the Party_

Thorne runs into the school cafeteria, heading over to the table where all of his friends are. When he arrives and slides in next to Cress, they see the excited look on his face and the adrenaline pumping through his restless limbs. However, they don't question his excitement because they know that Thorne will tell them in a few seconds flat once he catches his breath.

"My parents are going out of town," Thorne says happily, speaking faster than the normal human. "With that splendid news, I'm throwing a party this weekend."

"How exciting!" Winter exclaims, already pumped.

"Glad you're not using my house…" Kai mutters gratefully.

"I would never abuse my key like that," Thorne says before looking at Wolf. "Do you think you could handle the refreshments? Just send me the bill and I'll repay you."

Wolf nods. "Anything for a party."

Cress looks at Wolf curiously. "How would you manage to get beers? We're too young."

"Fake ID," Scarlet responds for him.

Cress isn't surprised that he has one, but she still felt the need to ask. For all she knows, maybe Wolf's tattoos and tough appearance made him look older thus not even get carded. Wolf notices Cress' weary expression which wonders why he even needs one.

"It's for survival," Wolf explains to her.

"Beer is essential for survival?" Cress questions.

"Yes," Wolf says without hesitation.

"That's illegal!" Cinder exclaims sarcastically, knowing that Wolf doesn't care. She laughs to herself and Wolf mirrors it.

"Can you get me a fake ID?" Thorne asks Wolf excitedly.

"No," Wolf responds. "What's the fun in having one so that you'll be in my debt?"

Thorne narrows his eyes at Wolf. "I hate you."

"The feeling's mutual."

"So," Scarlet starts, looking at Thorne. "About this party…"

"Stay tuned," Thorne says as he starts typing on his phone, "I'll be posting the deets on my story. Everyone will be there and it will be a party that nobody will forget."

* * *

 **The irony, Thorne, the irony.**

 ** _Important_ \- Please vote on the poll on my page if you haven't already! Votes will also be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- As Cress talks to her father about the party, Thorne tries to remember what happened that night.**


	102. Beware of Sharp Thornes: Part Two

**_Recap_ \- After waking up to the aftermath of a house party, Thorne tries to remember what happened.**

* * *

Beware of Sharp Thornes: Part Two

 _After the Party_

Thorne is glad his parents left but now he only has the whole day to clean the house. The areas he's seen were already a mess so he can't even begin to imagine the rest of the house. If they're anything like his memories of the party, he only hopes that, like the memories, the mess is non-existent.

For a party that went on for one night, it had a catastrophic mess.

Thorne walks out of the kitchen, drinking a glass of water and carrying a box of garbage bags to deal with the problem. After a few steps, his head starts pounding so much that he needs to sit down. He feels so hungover that just thinking and conspiring about the night in question. He sits on the couch where Winter, Cinder, and Scarlet are all sleeping and feels his nausea rising up. To resolve that issue, he pulls out a garbage bag and opens it just in case he actually vomits.

He inhales and nothing: no regurgitating anything from last night. A little memories would've been nice but what can he do?

For a moment, Thorne thinks that he should've gotten some pain killers from the kitchen for his head, but he doesn't want to turn back or stand up because he might vomit in his own tracks.

He looks beside him and still sees all the girls sleeping. He watches Cinder groan awake, grabbing the garbage bag and using it as a blanket. She pulls it over her eyes and goes back to sleep.

Thorne stifles on a laugh, pulling out his phone and snapping a picture of that for his story. He tags Cinder in it and captions it: _mood after last night._

-o-

 _Before the Party_

Cress feels nervous about this. When Thorne first mentioned the party, she's felt a little on edge. As Thorne's girlfriend, she has a social obligation to be present and she does want to be present. She's only scared because she has never been to a high school party. Not only is she at a disadvantage socially with her quirks, but the concepts of underaged drunk teenagers and loud music with inappropriate dancing sort of freak her out. She's watched enough of those in movies to last for any personal experience.

She's a master of projection and that was all she needed.

She first thought that being at the party would be the most nerve-wracking part about this party, but she didn't factor in asking her father for permission to go. That was definitely the scariest part of the party and it wasn't even the party itself.

"So…" Cress mutters, stirring her soup into spirals with her spoon. "There's this party coming up and all my friends are going."

Her father looks up at her and, for some reason, Cress starts panicking.

"I swear," Cress suddenly says, feeling her face heat up. "I won't drive drunk because I won't drink so I think I'll end up being the designated driver and if it ends up being too late, I'll just crash at Winter's - "

"Cress," her father says, stopping her ramble. "You can go."

"I can?" Her spoon drops into her bowl in shock. "You're letting me go?"

Sage nods his head. "If Winter's there, then you'll have someone that I know. Besides, Crescent, you're a teenager and I'm beyond grateful that you're going off and doing teenage things like partying. I'm also glad that you're not going through a rebellious phase and sneaking out."

Cress' face remains red, thinking back to the time she snuck out of the house with Thorne. Instead, she clears her throat and takes her spoon out of her soup, wiping it clean with a napkin.

"I was worried for a bit when you got that haircut," Sage tells her. "They say that when a woman gets a haircut, that means she's about to change her life. So, when I saw you with drastically shorter hair and pierced ears, it put me on edge. But, nothing bad _that I know of_ has happened, so I think you're becoming a more assertive and confident girl."

Cress looks up at her father and smiles a little. "Thanks, Dad."

"Also, watch out for yourself at that party. Better beware of sharp thorns."

Cress laughs a little. "Punny."

Her father raises a brow at her.

"The party is at Thorne's house," she explains.

-o-

 _After the Party_

Eventually, Scarlet stills awake. Her eyes blink rapidly a few times before she finally sits up on the couch. Hazy, she looks around, notices that she's on Thorne's couch, and sees The Blackburn girls asleep on her and Thorne looking at her with a box of garbage bags and a creepy smile on his face. He looks hungover to the stars and she honestly feels the same. Scarlet rubs her under-eyes and sees black smudges on her fingertips, knowing that it's her mascara that smeared off in her sleep.

"What is all this?" Scarlet asks Thorne.

"Welcome to the afterparty!" Thorne exclaims, tossing her a garbage bag.

Scarlet winces. "I'm not cleaning spades for you."

She throws the bag back. It lands on Cinder who finally wakes up with a garbage bag on her head and another one wrapped around her. Scarlet grins a little and Thorne takes another photo for his story. It takes Cinder a few minutes for her to process what she's waking up to and even when she has all the descriptive facts, nothing in her mind is clicking.

Cinder swats Thorne's phone away from her face. "I drank too much and now my liver filed a restraining order. Can someone hold my ponytail while I go throw up?"

Winter yawns awake. She sits up and, to the other three's surprise, looks as fresh as a flower. They're all envious and confused at Winter's current state.

"Aren't you supposed to be hungover?" Scarlet asks her. She could've sworn that everyone at the party last night had a couple of drinks.

"My liver is in its prime," Winter responds proudly.

"Your head isn't," Scarlet mutters.

Thorne lights up a little. "In that case, Winter, do you remember what happened last night?"

Winter sits back, thinking for a minute before shaking her head. "I only remember a party, dancing, and drinking. That's it."

Thorne looks at Cinder and Scarlet as well and the two girls shake their heads. Throne groans in frustration as he leans forwards and rubs his temples in his hands. The mystery behind this party of his is bringing more mental pain than the consequential hangover. Maybe the longer they're all awake (and maybe cleaning as well), they'll remember something. Maybe seeing an abandoned red plastic cup will trigger a path of brain cells that will just play out the events of last night like a movie. Or maybe he just has to vomit out his forgotten memories. (Or those are all stupid ideas).

"Then none of our heads are in their primes," Thorne states.

* * *

 **Remember that in the present day, _after the party_ , we haven't seen Cress, Kai or Wolf yet.**

 ** _Important_ \- If you have not voted in my poll yet, go do so! Additional votes or votes from guest reviewers will be accepted in the reviews!**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- As the group tries to make sense of last night, the girls will get ready for the party they will inevitably forget...**


	103. Beware of Sharp Thornes: Part Three

**_Recap_** **\- As Thorne tries to remember what happened at the party, his friends start waking up around him with no memory of the night either.**

* * *

Beware of Sharp Thornes: Part Three

 _After the Party_

"I am not your maid service," Scarlet tells him. She leans back on the couch, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples to try and ease her hangover headache.

"My mom gave Jeanette the day off because we have to clean it ourselves," Thorne responds, handing her a trash bag.

Scarlet pouts a lip at Thorne to mock him. "Boo-hoo at your petty first world issues. And don't even with the inclusive pronoun. I'm not helping. Your party means your mess."

As they continue arguing, Cinder groans as their words bounce against her pounding skull. She leans into Winter, grabbing fistfuls of her cousin's thick curls and pressing them against her ears. To her surprise, they work as effective headphones better than she thought. If Cinder closes her eyes, Winter's curls could also pass off as a pillow.

"Shh, I'm trying to sleep."

Thorne and Scarlet stop arguing as Cinder sits up again. That random voice wasn't any of theirs. It actually sounded like Kai. The four of them look around and don't spot Kai anywhere even though his voice sounded like it was right beside them. Then, the four of them kneel on Thorne's couch and peer over behind them. On the floor behind the couch is Kai. He lies on the ground, looking sound asleep and cuddling a pillow.

They all laugh to themselves at how cute that looks. Thorne even takes another picture for his story, captioning it: _mood after last night part two_.

"Babe, you're not asleep," Cinder tells him even though he looks incredibly cute like that. She makes a note to herself to take a screenshot of Thorne's story when she gets the chance.

"I've been awake this whole time," Kai responds in the pillow which makes his voice all grumbly, still looking as if he was asleep. "My eyes are just closed. Sleep is not a luxury at this point. It's a requirement."

Kai readjusts his position as if he was going back to sleep (or just _look_ like he was asleep). Still, he keeps his arms wrapped tightly around the pillow. However, he opens his eyes when he hears footsteps walking down the stairs. They all look up at the spiral staircase and see Wolf walking down sluggishly, yawning with each step he takes. _At least that answers the question on where he was._

"Where did you come from?" Winter asks him.

"Luna, originally, but as if right now, that upstairs hallway," Wolf responds, leaning against the frame of the couch they're all (minus Kai) are sitting on. "I woke up on some small cushioned hallway bench with my legs hanging off the side. I think I was in that position the whole night because my tailbone is killing me."

Scarlet pouts her lip the same way she did to Thorne earlier. "Poor baby…"

Wolf rolls his eyes as he steps over and kisses the top of her head.

Scarlet winces a little. "That makes my headache worse."

"Same for me," he mumbles in response.

"At least we're all on the same page titled hungover."

"Why were you upstairs?" Cinder asks him.

Wolf shrugs. "All I know for sure is that my lower back hurts and I woke up with some creepy head bust display staring at me. Now that I think about it, I think it appeared in my dream."

"You get used to that," Thorne says. "Why are you just standing there? Take a seat or lie down on the floor with Kai."

Wolf blinks. "I'm upright sitting."

Cinder leans forwards and readjusts her ponytail. "You better have a solution to all of this."

"Thorne's rich, babe," Kai says, finally standing up from the ground, still with the pillow in his arms. "But he doesn't have a time machine."

"In his defence, some people screw up because they don't expect to get caught," Wolf states.

"Thanks, bro," Thorne says, passing him a trash bag to help with the cleaning mission.

Wolf stares at him. "I'm too hungover to hit you."

-o-

 _Before the Party_

The girls all sit in Scarlet's bedroom: Scarlet, Winter, and Cinder are sitting on her bed while Cress sits on the beanbag chair off to the side. All of them are still wearing their school uniforms since they came here straight after, claiming to be resting before starting their studies even though it's already been an hour and they've been well-rested this whole time.

"Oh, aces, I forgot to show you something!" Scarlet exclaims.

The other three girls look up from their phone and watch as Scarlet sits up. She lifts her uniform shirt, stopping just underneath her bra to show her girls her tattoo of a tomato cluster. Cinder and Winter gasp in amazement as they peer closer, touching it delicately. Cress stands up from the beanbag chair and peers over the edge of the bed to get a look as well. They came to the conclusion that if Scarlet were to get a tattoo, this would be hers. It deeply resembled the tomatoes they say as they drove up here.

"That's so beautiful!" Cress exclaims.

"When did you get it?" Cinder asks.

"Before I disappeared to France," Scarlet responds.

"Now you and Wolf are tatted beauties!" Winter cheers.

Scarlet hums in interest as she lowers her shirt again. Cress takes a seat on Scarlet's bed to hear what her friend has to dish since nobody makes that sound without any follow-up.

"Don't get me started on Wolf's tattoos because I don't think I'll be able to stop," Scarlet starts, grinning so much that her mouth looks like it can't contain itself. "His tattoos are so sexy which led up to us hooking up and the whole messy conundrum after that. Anyways, his tattoos are sexy, especially that howling wolf on his lower back."

Scarlet licks her lips as if she's eating a snack. She looks off to the distance as if she's imagining seeing Wolf and all of his tattoos. Then, she returns back to reality and sees her friends staring at her. Scarlet clears her throat, not feeling embarrassed at all about thinking about her hot boyfriend.

"Anyways…Thorne's party is soon," Scarlet states to change the topic. (She wasn't kidding when she said that she wouldn't be able to control herself if she started talking about Wolf's tattoos. If she didn't mention Thorne's party, she would've remained in her trance).

Cress leans back a little. "I feel so awkward at parties. Like, I never really go to them and here I am now planning to show up. I'm going to be in way in over my head at the party. I'm already so nervous but I can't show it. I'm only going because you drunk idiots wouldn't survive without me."

Scarlet scoffs. "It's different now because you have friends to party with and a boyfriend who's the host. Also, you're from Luna, isn't that all parties?"

"Not from my part of town."

"Upper class and tourist areas are prime partying areas," Cinder informs Scarlet. "In other words, we partied all the time in Artemisia."

Winter nods in agreement. "Under the glitz and glamorous surface of the simplest girls are the hidden depths of Lunar trauma. Drink and dance your demons away."

Cinder clears her throat. "What she means to say is that sometimes, the panic is worth the fun."

Scarlet looks at Cress to build on that. "As long as you're stepping out of your comfort zone, nothing's a waste of time. Fear isn't a conclusion but a decision. Besides, you're going to be with us."

"And, Cress, you're the host's girlfriend so you'll have an even better time," Winter says happily. "The longer you're with someone, the more you start to talk and act like them so, maybe, you'll adopt his party charisma. I have heard around school that Thorne is quite the party character."

Scarlet nods her head. "I've been to the same parties of Thorne. He's a character."

"Oh, stars…" Cress groans, leaning forwards and running her fingers through her short hair before looking up at her friends again. She probably looks miserable over such a petty issue like this. "I'm going to die tonight."

"Some liquid courage will help you," Scarlet mutters.

"Spades…I don't want to drink. I don't like drinking and I have to get all your drunk aces home. It's already going to be a crazy night while sober. With that in mind, what are you going to wear?"

"You gotta dress like it's your last day on Earth."

-o-

 _Before the Party_

Thorne walks out of school and makes his way through the parking lot. On his way to his car, he looks over and sees Wolf heading over to his vehicle. As a detour, he zigzags through the remaining parked cars and approaches Wolf with a stupid grin on his face. Wolf already looks the most unamused (especially since he thought he could leave school right away. Now, this conversation with Thorne would be at least another five minutes on this dreaded property).

"Guess what I'm going to get?!" Thorne exclaims excitedly.

"On my nerves?" Wolf questions rhetorically.

"No. I'm here to talk official party business."

Wolf nods, appreciating that this conversation is going to be something of his interest (and, at this point, his duty).

"What kind of booze do you want?" Wolf asks him.

Thorne shrugs casually. "Nothing too fancy or expensive because I have nobody here to impress with my wealth. But, make it affordable so you could get enough to last a lot of people for a long time."

Wolf unlocks his car. "Beer and vodka juice it is."

Thorne agrees. "Thanks, bro."

Wolf shakes his head. "We are not bros."

"We totally are bros," he whispers.

"I will continue helping you out until the day I actually want to help you and even after that. That doesn't mean we're bros."

Thorne starts fake crying tears of joy which makes Wolf roll his eyes. He didn't think this conversation would take this extra turn but he should've known better because he's talking to Thorne. Wolf could only think about how he wishes he had a beer or vodka juice (or both at this point) just to make his mind numb to this moment in time, preferably, to forget it.

"We're totally bros," Thorne confirms to which Wolf doesn't respond.

* * *

 ** _Important_** **\- Please go vote on my poll if you haven't! The people in the lead keep on changing which makes it exciting. Even you guest readers or people without an account can vote in the reviews.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_** **\- The group starts to get ready for the party they continue to struggle remembering what happened.**


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